Reality Warped
by The Altered Destinies
Summary: A Sequel to Reality Cubed
1. Chapter 1

RanWarp01

Realities Warped!

By Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi and other artists too numerous to mention)

Chapter One.

Rocket Scientists

Continuum #10034527

"Genma?" a lovely voice asked with surprising familiarity, "Saotome Genma?"

"Eh?" Professor of Astrophysics Genma Saotome asked as he turned to see who was addressing him in such a curious tone, only to have his eyes widen beneath his spectacles as he caught the sight of a very tall woman with purple hair done up in a long pigtailed braid. Though she was much older than he remembered he could have little difficulty in placing her face, which was why he turned fully around and said, "Kho-Hom? Is that you?"

"In the flesh," she smiled, "Which I see you've added a bit to since the last time I saw you..."

"Hmph," he replied in ruffled dignity, "It's not the girth of the man that counts, it is the breadth of his accomplishments."

"That I well can believe," the Chinese woman said as she looked him over, "You've done well for yourself over the years...three PhDs, a Nobel Laureate, the Distinguished Service Medal for service to the Republic..."

Genma adjusted his glasses before replying, "And what of you? I'd heard you were given several military decorations for service to the Empire, to say nothing of your own considerable accomplishments in the field of Astrophysics."

"I fear my military days are a thing long in the past," she sighed, "But why the look of confusion at my being here? Surely you must have noticed that my name was on the list of contributing specialists in this joint rocket venture."

"Eh?" Genma consulted the clipboard in his hand and scanned down the list until he saw her name, followed by the prefix "Li," at which point he looked up at her and said, "You're married?"

"Have been for the past eighteen years," she sighed, "He's a good man, you probably would like him. And you? Did you finally settle down with Nodoka?"

"Best decision I ever made in my life," he replied, then mentally cudgeled himself as he looked at her and added, "Um...a natural balance for the...other mistake I made in letting you go..."

"Nice try," she gave him a weary smile, then said, "This must be a very proud day for you. We're about to launch a joint satellite that is one of your major accomplishments."

"Actually, I just supervised the project," Genma said modestly, "It's my son, Ranma, who had engineered one of the tests which we will be running once it reaches orbit."

"Ranma eh?" Comb mused, "Well, that is an interesting coincidence, isn't it?"

"Eh?" he asked, "What do you mean?"

"My own daughter, Xian-Pu, will be conducting an experiment that she helped to devise regarding gravitonic variables in the upper atmosphere," Comb replied, "I'm quite proud of her...she's quite the prot g , just like your Ranma."

"You don't say?" Genma mused, "Hmm...I wonder if the Boy has any idea that he's in for some major competition..."

"You haven't told him about me, have you?" Comb asked softly.

"Ah...no," Genma admitted, "I...felt it best to leave certain aspects of the past...to the past. I mean...I have no regrets about those days, but..."

"You're probably right," Comb agreed, "Still...I can't help wondering if those two might strike sparks if they could meet...like mother and father, like offspring."

"Ah," Genma said reluctantly, "I don't mean to be rude about it...but the Boy already has a fianc e..."

"So?" Comb replied, "They're still young, let them live a little, and besides...he can't be much older than my Xian-Pu, which puts him at seventeen or sixteen years of age..."

"Sixteen," Genma replied, silently thinking to himself that his son and heir might do well to watch his steps if there were an Amazon loose in the building who was even half the spitfire that had been her mother...

"You there...what are you doing?"

"Huh?" Ranma looked up from his computer console and saw a strange looking girl looming over him, one who seemed to be close to his own age but had a mane of long, absurdly lavender hair stretching down almost to the small of her spine, done up in a curiously Chinese type of odango hairset.

"I was asking you a question," the girl asked patiently, "Are you deaf?"

Ranma bristled a bit at the rude comment, "No, I'm not deaf, and you're not supposed to be here. The tour groups aren't allowed on this level..."

"I'm not here with any tour group," she said in a frosty tone, "I'm one of the project advisors. My name is Li Xian Pu."

"Saotome Ranma," he automatically responded, looking the girl up and down and noticing at once that was unusually beautiful in an exotic kind of way. He did not, however, take her serious at her word as he scornfully responded, "Aren't you a little young to be a project advisor?"

"Look who is talking," the girl shot back with a cute kind of scowl on her lovely features.

It was Ranma's turn to scowl, "If you must know, I'm supervising a project in Warp Anomalies Curve Vectors..."

"Oh," she said, "Then you're the one who mixed up the valances and got the Lanier equations all wrong..."

"What?" Ranma turned a really annoyed look her way.

"I read your paper," the annoying girl replied, "You made several miscalculations in your formulas, and your proposal sounds more like something out of science fiction. You want to measure warp curving effect by studying how the light bends around the sun at certain refraction angles but you fail to take into account the distortion of the lunar field when calibrating your instruments. That could affect the readings in a number of ways and spoil the results of your experiment, in which case you'll have accomplished a fat lot of nothing."

"And what are you?" Ranma asked, "A rocket scientist?"

"As a matter of fact I am," she countered, "And what are you, the Mascot?"

Ranma frowned in annoyance then said, "You think I made a mistake? Show me."

"All right," she smiled, arising to the challenge, "If you square the P-r and raise the dimension constant by a factor of one-point-eight-seven, carried to at least seven decimals..."

"Then you'd have a formula that came out heavier on one end, and that would totally affect the results of the warp curve structure," Ranma blinked, "I never thought of that...I don't believe it!"

"And that is why you failed in all your ground-based experiments," Shampoo smiled triumphantly, "But there's still time for you to input new calculations, if you don't mind taking advice from a mere woman."

Ranma's annoyance level increased geometrically, but still he managed to say, "Despite whatever impressions you may have formed about me in the last ten seconds, I am not stupid. I'll recalculate the formula and re-input the equations, but don't take it personal if I double-check and...what are you smiling about?"

"I was just noticing something about you," Xian Pu mused, "When you wrinkle your nose and frown like that you get the cutest dimples..." her expression fell, "Um...did I just say that aloud?"

"Huh?" Ranma looked at her in open confusion, then without knowing quite why he started to color.

"Anyway," the purple haired girl smiled in a more relaxed sense and said, "It is very good to meet you, Saotome Ranma-san. Let us hope that we can work together on this project and resolve any differences that may result from our different approaches to doing research."

"Ah...likewise," Ranma replied, studying the Chinese girl before him carefully before saying, "Er...your name in Mandarin means Mountain Girl, right?"

"Yes," Shampoo had that impious look in her eyes again as she replied in kind with, "Do you want to know what Saotome sounds like in Chinese?"

"Ah...no thanks," Ranma colored, having a VERY good idea of what she was implying, "It was just...your name sounds a little like a Japanese word for Coral...which, I think, is kind of nice..."

It was Xian-Pu's turn to look surprised, but she recovered swiftly enough to come back with a lilting, "Well, you are a charmer, but first impressions can seldom be trusted. What saw we begin this all over. I am here as an assistant to my mother, Kho-Hom, who is here as a Project Coordinator, and my matrilineal great grandmother is one of the faculty board members overseeing the program's funding, while your father is the director in charge of operations, so...I guess that means that we're going to be working together."

"I guess..." Ranma reluctantly conceded.

Xian-Pu eyed the boy quixotically before remarking, "You don't sound very thrilled about it."

"It's not that," Ranma said rather dubiously, "It's just...well, understand something, you're a very pretty girl, and it's obvious that you're smart enough to be here and all that, but..."

"And that's a problem?" Xian-Pu marveled.

"It is for me," Ranma replied, "Not that there's anything wrong with you showing up here and all, but...well...your timing right now is really awkward and..."

"RAN-MA!" a harsh voice barked in their direction, causing the boy so-named to flinch instinctively, his face assuming a nonplussed expression as he glanced over his shoulder to see the one who was hailing him so rudely.

Xian-Pu followed the boy's gaze and saw a trio of Japanese girls heading in their general direction, one of them-the shortest and most unhappy looking of her group-bearing down on Ranma with a vengeful look of affront in her eyes, her attitude and general manner at once unpleasant.

"I thought I'd catch you slinking off to do something behind my back!" she declared angrily, "And who is this? Another pen-pal for your collection?"

"It's not like that at all, Akane," Ranma said in a tired, annoyed tone of voice, "Xian-Pu and I just met and..."

"Shampoo?" Akane glared at the Amazon in an overtly challenging manner, "You're named for a hair care product?"

"No," Xian-Pu glared at the pugnacious girl with immediate disliking, "I am named for a great warrior of my people who lived long ago in legendary days before the founding of the current Empire. And what are you named for, 'Scarlet?' That red haze in front of your eyes?"

"Why you-!" Akane started to move forward when one of the other two girls said, "Akane-chan, behave yourself. This is not a place for such rude behavior."

At once the dark haired girl flinched and stared at the taller of her two companions, "But Kasumi..."

"Not another word," the older girl said sternly, "You apologize now to Ranma's friend and we will try to pretend the incident never happened."

"Friend?" Akane glared back at the purple haired girl, but then forced herself to say with as much contriteness as she could stomach, "I am sorry for calling you a hair care product."

"That's all right," Xian-Pu replied, "I know you meant it."

"Hey, Ranma-kun," the middle of the three girls said sidelong, "Who is she, really? Another of your secret admirers?"

"Very funny, Nabiki," Ranma sniffed, "I only just met right now. Li Xian-Pu, these are the Tendo sisters, Kasumi, Nabiki and...you've already said hi to Akane."

"Misty, Fluttering and...Scarlet?" Xian-Pu asked with a puzzled expression, "You are named for cloud formations?"

"It's something of a tradition for the women in our family," Kasumi replied with a gentle smile, "I thought I recognized you from an article I read in the Times. You're the daughter of Li Kho-Hom, the Chinese delegate to the Advisory board and a project coordinator. You also published a very remarkable article upon Quantum State Flux that I found quite...enlightening."

"You read that?" Xian-Pu replied, "I am impressed."

"Kasumi here's a voracious reader of technical things," Nabiki explained, "Me, I'm more of a mechanic at heart. I like doing things with my hands, something of a side-profession..."

"Don't let her kid you," Ranma warned, "Nabiki here studies law at the Technical university of Kyoto. Tinkering is just a hobby for her, but if she really wants to frisk you she'll hit you with legal rigmarole that you've never even heard of, laws so obscure that many in the Empire don't even remember that they exist, and if you want to keep the patent rights for an invention, then she's the one to talk to."

"Thanks for the free advertisement, Ranma-kun," Nabiki smiled, "But I usually do my own promotions."

"So," Xian-Pu turned to the shorter sister and said, "What's your specialty in? Are you also here on a technical degree?"

"Hardly," Akane snorted, "You nerds may look down your snooty noses at people who actually have to work for a living, but at least some of us earn our way through sweat, hard work and labor..."

"Akane's a Pro-Tennis star," Nabiki clarified, "Near the top of her field...I'm surprised you've never heard of her, she's famous."

"I don't pay much attention to sports," Xian-Pu replied, "When I want to work out I practice the traditional Wushu, of my people, but other than that..."

"You study martial arts?" Akane gained a curious look of speculation.

"It's the way of the Amazons," Xian-Pu frowned, "Why?"

"I study Kempo Karate myself," Akane smiled unpleasantly, "Care to have a match?"

Xian-Pu cocked an eyebrow at that and considered how to respond to this obvious challenge when Ranma spoke up again and said, "That may not be too good an idea, and anyway, like Kasumi said, this is hardly the time or the place for any roughhousing. Besides, there's no sense in anyone getting hurt over..."

"I accept," Xian-Pu at once replied, "Name the time and place and we'll have a...friendly match together, just you and I. Is that acceptable to you?"

"I'll be counting the hours," Akane's grin took on a nasty quality, and she rather ominously smacked fist-to-palm with gleeful anticipation.

Ranma was not so sanguine over this, "Um...would you excuse us for a moment, girls. I need to explain something to Xian-Pu here...okay with you, Akane?"

"Just no funny stuff," Akane glared back, "And stay where I can see the both of you at all times."

"Who died and made you the Empress?" Xian-Pu murmured under her breath as she allowed herself to be led away a short distance, just out of earshot of the three sisters, where Ranma paused and turned back to look at her with an obviously worried expression.

"Are you out of your mind?" he demanded, "Akane holds a Third Dan in Kempo, and she knows a lot of other systems I can barely even pronounce. She also likes to hurt people who get on her bad side, so unless you're looking for a world of pain I'd find a way of declining right now to save face for later...and by save face, I mean saving your face before you're black and blue all over."

"My, how gallant of you to be so concerned for my welfare," Xian-Pu replied before voicing her own immediate concern, "And what is with you and that other girl anyway? You act as though she owns you..."

"In a way she does," Ranma sighed, "She's my iinazuke...fianc e..."

Xian-Pu's lavender colored eyebrows rose beneath her front bangs, "She's you're what? You mean...you and that...Jock?"

"Not so loud," Ranma urged, "And it isn't like it's my idea or anything of that sort. It's an arranged engagement, set up by our two fathers when we were both too little to talk. My father promised that I would marry a girl from the house of Tendo and her father decided it would be Akane instead of his other sisters..."

"Why her?" Xian-Pu scowled, "If you can excuse me for saying this, but the two of you don't exactly seem like a harmonious match. At least the other two girls appear to have some brains..."

"Oh, Kasumi and Nabiki are both geniuses in their respective fields," Ranma sighed, "But they've both been pledged to other men from the time when they were little. Kasumi's engaged to marry a doctor while Nabiki's engaged to some French nobleman named Picardin. I get along with them well enough, but there's no sense working my hopes up about getting the engagement transferred. Problem is...Akane hates my guts and wants out of the engagement as much as I do, but she's worried about the sort of scandal it might cause, so she's always looking for an excuse to accuse me of infidelity. Not that I do anything to give her an excuse, but if I so much as talk to a pretty girl..."

"And you think I'm pretty?" Xian-Pu asked.

The boy seemed to mentally shift gears with all the rapidity of a drunk on a wet road, "Uh...excuse me?"

"Just tell me something," Xian-Pu smiled, "So you want out on your engagement?"

"Well...if I could do so honorably, sure," Ranma shrugged, "Who wants to marry a girl who can't stand to look at you, and who resents me because I like science and she doesn't?"

"Then leave it all to me," Xian-Pu looked at him serenely, "I thought it might be destiny when I saw you standing here looking out of sorts. Now I understand what the Powers that Be had in mind for me all along."

With that the purple haired girl turned and walked back to where Akane was glaring daggers at them both, then she and the dark haired girl fell into low-  
voiced conversation that Ranma could not overhear and thus was unable to fathom, save that Akane gave him a puzzled look before turning to the other girl and extending her hand in an almost friendly shake that had both girls grinning like stray bobcats about to fight over a piece of meat.

"Huh?" Ranma blinked his eyes then shook his head, "I'll never understand women..."

"Does that include me, Doc?"

Ranma turned around and said, "Ucchan? What are you doing slinking around like that? You could give a guy a heart attack..."

"Oh, poor boy," said the rather attractive girl in greasy coveralls, "I was just coming to tell you that I've finished running the tests that you asked about...and what's with the new girl? You working to make Akane jealous enough to put you into a coma?"

"Heh...well...to tell the truth," Ranma said as he reflexively ran a hand across the ponytail in the back of his head, "I only just met her...she says her name is Li Xian-Pu..."

"Li Xian-Pu?" Ukyo gawked, "Are you serious, Doc? She's the daughter of the Chinese Project Advisor? But she's brilliant, said to be a genius, almost as smart as you..."

"Heh, right," Ranma said as he saw the purple haired Chinese girl walking back his way, the red eyes of Xian-Pu immediately sizing Ukyo up as if wondering if she were another potential challenge, a thought which prompted Ranma to hastily say, "Xian-Pu...I'd like you to meet my adopted sister, Kuonji Ukyo ne Saotome. Ukyo, this is Xian-Pu..."

"Ah yes," Xian-Pu remarked as though only just placing a name to the face of the brown haired girl before her, "The Electrical Wizard. I remember your name coming up at a briefing. You handle systems analysis, quite a remarkable accomplishment at your age."

"Hey, I'm flattered, Sugar," Ukyo chuckled in a friendly, off-handed manner, "But Doc here does most of the real brain work. I just make sure everything's connected according to his instructions, just like Monk makes sure the fuel mix is up to standards..."

"Monk?" Xian-Pu once more lifted an eyebrow.

"She means our half-brother, Ryoga," Ranma sighed, "He's the Chemical wizard in the family, I'm just the overall technical wiz kid who's dad talked the science board into taking on with the rest of my team. Ukyo, Ryoga and I have been designing and building stuff for as long as we're known each other, so the Quantum Flux program is kind of like our baby. Heck, even Nabiki's hand her hand on helping to build the thing that they're shooting into orbit so we can measure the Time Dilation Field of the Earth's Polar Gravity Well. If everything goes off according to plan we should be reading the data from two hundred seventy kilometers orbit in a matter of hours."

"Be a big day for all of us at Team Ranma," Ukyo grinned, "And Ham and me are going to go out and celebrate with Monk and Moosey after it's all over...how about joining us and making it a party?"

"Um...thank you...I would be honored," Xian-Pu looked in confusion at the other girl and said, "Would you mind telling me why you are in the habit of giving nick-names to both of your brothers and your friends?"

"Well, why not?" Ukyo grinned, "It's only fair to me since Monk and Moosey tease me right back. They call me Long Wire, can you believe that? 'Guess it's because I don't have a short fuse like Miss Gorilla over there..."

"Don't call her that, Sis," Ranma said tiredly before leaning over to Xian-Pu and saying, "You'll have to forgive Ukyo, she's from Kansai. They talk a little different in that prefecture..."

"I see," Xian-Pu looked from the boy to the electrician and said, "So why does she call you Doc?"

"Because Ranma here got his first Ph.D. by the time he turned fourteen," Ukyo replied, "So ever since I've been calling him Doc, short for Doctor Saotome Ranma, Professor of Applied Theoretical Physics and all around Bronze Wonder-Kid from the humble province of Nerima," she finished the last part with a playful punch to her step-brother's shoulder.

"And those other names?" Xian-Pu asked.

"Well, Ryoga's a bit shy and reclusive, if you know what I mean," Ranma shrugged, "Kind of lives like a hermit, even studied for a while at this temple that taught him to manage a...um...little problem he had with directions. He's great with test tubes and explosives, but a little...um...reserved around women, if you know what I'm saying?"

"So I call him Monk," Ukyo smiled, "While with Ham..."

"I've asked you nicely to stop calling me that," said Nabiki as she came up to join their group, "And one of these days I'm going to take you to civil court, Saotome, and force you to withdraw that ridiculously inappropriate nickname."

"Whatever you say, Ham," Ukyo said without the least hint of shame in her voice, "Ah...and speak of the Oni himself, here comes Monk now, along with Moosey."

"Moosey?" Xian-Pu started to turn around as a pair of boys were headed their way, only to pause with a startled expression and a faintly hissed, "I do not believe this...!"

The one boy with the shy expression looked remarkably a lot like Ranma himself save for the manner in which he was dressed wearing a heavily stained lab coat, and in one hand he was carrying a small black piglet that rested comfortably in the crook of his arm as though in the manner of a stray pet, a thought that made Xian-Pu pine briefly for her own pet cat left home in China. But as pleasant looking as this boy was, she almost immediately dismissed him from her mind at the sight of the other, taller boy walking beside him. This worthy wore a thick pair of glasses and was wearing a long Chinese-style robe that allowed him to walk with his arms folded together. As quick as she was to identify this individual, the boy in question did not even seem to notice her until he was nearly on top of her, at which point he halted in his tracks and did a sudden double-talk, exuding surprise as he said, "Xian-Pu? Is that you?"

"Mu-Tsu," Xian-Pu said coldly, "What are you doing here?"

"Huh?" Ranma glanced from the Amazon to the tall boy, "You two know each other?"

"Um...kind of..." Mu-Tsu wilted, "Xian-Pu and I are from the same village in rural China..."

"Whoah," Nabiki remarked, "Talk about coincidences..."

"I asked what you are doing here, Mu-Tsu," Xian-Pu sternly demanded, "Must I repeat myself again?"

"Um...no..." the tall boy's shoulders slumped and he refused to raise his eyes to meet the glare of the purple haired girl, instead remarking, "I didn't know you would be here, honest, I swear it! I'm here with my friends from Japan..."

"Friends?" Xian-Pu raised an eyebrow, giving Ranma a studied look before asking, "You are friends with...that?"

"Ah...well, yeah," Ranma said, "Is there a problem with that?"

"Moosey came to our little corner of Japan a few years ago and got involved in our little gang of five," Ukyo said with just a hint of defensiveness in her tone, "He's been a good friend to all of us, Sugar, so don't taking no attitude with our resident Archeologist..."

"Archeologist?" Xian-Pu cocked the other eyebrow.

"Ah...yes...I'm studying Archeology at Kyoto University," Mu-Tsu replied, "I've got a job with the Department of Antiquities...I help to find and locate rare and unusual artifacts at archeological digs..."

Xian-Pu turned and looked at the others present, "And none of you have questioned why this one was kicked out of our village and forced to live as an exile?"

"Er...no," Ranma replied, "We never did."

"Why?" Nabiki asked, "Was it something awful?"

"Only if you consider attempted rape something awful," Xian-Pu glared at the tall boy once again, having the satisfaction of seeing the shock and horror reflected in the expressions of the others present.

"Attempted Rape?" Kasumi blinked, "Oh my..."

"I...wasn't guilty of attempting to rape anybody, honest," Mu-Tsu replied, "It was all a mistake..."

"A mistake," Xian-Pu sniffed, "Not likely."

"You've got it all wrong," Mu-Tsu shook his head and all but pleaded to the purple haired girl, "I was framed, falsely accused of attempted rape by that pink-haired witch, Pur-Fum. It was all a plot to drive me away from you and the other people of our village, Xian-Pu, honest!"

"Then why did the Council order you to leave our village?" Xian-Pu demanded.

"Don't you mean why did they let me live?" Mu-Tsu countered, "You know what the laws among the Amazons are concerning even attempted Rape, Xian-Pu. Why do you think that I was allowed to walk out of there with my genitals still attached? It was because the Council found me INNOCENT, but they did not want to risk a scandal by pointing the finger of blame at the real guilty party. It's Pur-Fum who disgraced herself, she's the one who should have been penalized, but her family is too powerful and the Council feared triggering a clan feud if they made it an issue..."

"Are you telling me you accepted voluntary exile over staying and possibly triggering a clan feud?" Xian-Pu asked with a frown, "And you accepted?"

"Yes," Mu-Tsu sighed, "What else was I to do? Your family stood to lose as much as mine, and even in these days where clan feuds are rare and all but forgotten, there are several who wouldn't hesitate to take advantage of the ensuing tension to settle a few old scores, and then Joketsuzoku would resemble some Balkan village in central Europe, and how long after that do you think it would take the Empire to come down on all of us? Believe me, Pur-Fum was the real villain all along, but rather than expose her I had to do the right thing for the good of all our people."

Xian-Pu's expression softened as she asked, "Why did you never tell me this before?"

"Would you have believed me over the word of your best friend?" he said the latter part with a special twist of bitterness, then saw how Xian-Pu winced accordingly and nodded, "So...she betrayed you too, eh? And after she professed to care about you...right?"

Xian-Pu did not immediately answer, but as she glanced away it was plain from her expression that she was silently conceding the point, only shame and pride preventing her from saying so outright.

Mu-Tsu nodded at this and said sadly, "So now you know the truth...about why the Council did what they did...what they had to do, and why I had to find another place to live where I would not be judged by my past behavior."

"Whoah," Ranma said with raised eyebrows, "Mousse...we never even suspected..."

"No, my friend," Mu-Tsu said sadly, "Nor was there any reason for you to suspect, which is how I wanted it. I would rather be judged by my actions in the present rather than be condemned for past mistakes that tarnished my name in my own homeland."

"Moosey, old Buddy," Ukyo grinned, "You are such a romantic...for a Jackass, I mean."

"Well then," Nabiki noted, "If we have all of that cleared up now, then maybe we should all make our way to the launch area so we can see the results of our labor get hurled into orbit."

"Very good thinking, Little Sister," Kasumi agreed, "They have already begun the final countdown, and in another forty minutes your big project will begin, Ranma-kun, and then you'll be famous."

"Hey, it's not like I did this all by myself, you know," Ranma responded, "You guys did as much work, you deserve most of the credit."

"Hey, it's a team effort, Doc," Ukyo assured her adopted brother, "What works for you works for all of us, so if you're famous than we get recognition just from basking in your glory."

"Glory," Akane sniffed, "At best you'll be on page six or seven of the Nerima Times, right after the Prime Minister's big speech to the Senate, or the Emperor's latest visit to dedicate one of the Shogun's temples..."

"It's not that bad, Akane-kun," the shy boy named Ryoga finally spoke up, not daring even to look at the girl so named as though the very sight of her unnerved him, "The Empire stands to profit from this enormously, and with a new revolutionary means of measuring Quantum energy..."

"I wasn't saying that it's not important, Ryoga-kun," Akane said almost defensively, also avoiding looking at the boy so named, "It's just...OOOOH...you eggheads drive me so crazy sometimes. Can't you just behave for once like normal people?"

She turned and stormed back off down the corridor, leaving Xian-Pu to remark, "And that's the girl you intend to marry?"

"Hey, she's not like that all of the time," Ranma shrugged, "But...well...like Dad says sometimes, we don't marry for love, we marry for tradition."

"Don't get me wrong, Ranma-kun," Nabiki replied, "But sometimes tradition can take a hike. I mean...have you seen the mouth on my fianc e? I once saw the pig swallow a melon whole! What girl wants to marry a guy with a mouth that can do that?"

"Oh, I wouldn't complain too much if I were you, Nabiki," Kasumi said with a look of mischief, "That tongue of his is pretty long and flexible, after all, and if applied in just the right way..."

"Kasumi!" Nabiki reacted with a wince, followed by some serious blushing.

Xian-Pu looked at one face after another in this odd group of child savants, feeling at once a strange kinship to their combined level of evident genius and at once started to feel as though she might actually fit in, a very odd sensation to be certain. On some level she was already starting to warm up to the charming smile of the one named Ukyo, the sultry Nabiki and the serenely mischievous Kasumi, while Ryoga was a bit of an enigma, and Ranma himself...

Of course there was also Mu-Tsu, and in light of the startling revelation that he had just unveiled she was going to have to have a serious conversation with her tribal Matriarch and great-grandmother. If what he said was true...then she was going to have to rethink a great deal that she had formerly been taking for granted...

All at once she heard her name being called and turned her attention towards the public address system, surprised to find that both she and Ranma were being addressed, "Would Li Xian Pu and Saotome Ranma please report to the main control room. Li Xian Pu and Saotome Ranma, please report at once to the central control room. Your presence is urgently requested by the Program Director."

"Huh?" Ranma glanced up, "What does dad want now?"

"I dunno, Doc," Ukyo shrugged, "But at this late stage of events, it's probably important."

"We should all go then," Ryoga spoke up, "There might be a problem that they detected.

"Indeed, Ryoga-kun," Kasumi turned and said, "Let's all go together, just in case Ranma-kun needs our technical support. At the very least we should not miss the actual launch itself, unless they are forced to cancel things at this late stage of events."

"What a pity that would be," Mu-Tsu remarked, "And it would take another week to find a better launch window."

"That's not going to happen," Ranma frowned, already moving down the hallway, "Come on, guys, let's do our jobs."

Shampoo only blinked once before following after these individuals, impressed to see that they fanned out behind Ranma's leadership automatically, as though such a thing were second nature. Even the shy Ryoga moved with surprising confidence to flank his brother's right side, Ukyo taking position at his left elbow, while Nabiki, Mu-Tsu and Kasumi formed a natural wedge behind the swift moving Ranma. As Shampoo took a point slightly off to one side she had a good view of the handsome boy's backside, and the more she studied his movements the more impressed she was by his natural grace and general air of charisma. Without needing to be informed of the fact she at once recognized that he had martial arts training and was good enough to hold his own even up to Amazon standards. She would definitely need to test him out later to determine his true capabilities...after she won a certain bet with a certain other girl and earned herself the right to spend more time in this Wonder Boy's immediate presence...

Mid-way to the main control booth, the group was met by an impulsively kawaii redhead whose resemblance to Ranma could not be mistaken. Xian-Pu was about to ask about this when the younger girl said, "Hey, Big Bro! What's going on in there? Pop and some really strange Chinese lady...um...hello?" she blinked as she caught sight of Xian-Pu as if doing a double-take.

"Not now, Squirt!" Ranma said hastily, hurrying on past the cute redhead, who automatically fell in with their group and started to follow, the others accepting her presence without remark, much to Xian-Pu's growing interest.

"Mind your brother, Sport," Ukyo softly chided her adopted kid sister, giving Xian-Pu a nod before making hasty introductions, "Saotome Ranko, Shampoo...Shampoo, Saotome Ranko."

"That's Xian-Pu," the Amazon automatically corrected, wondering if this were going to become a regular habit for her since these Japanese seemed to keep mixing her name up with their word for coral.

"Cool," the spunky pigtailed girl remarked, then added the inevitable, "Is that color for real?" that Xian-Pu was also now growing to both expect and loath with equal fervor.

The group arrived at the main control center, but-to their surprise-only Ranma and Xian-Pu were admitted beyond the observation chamber to the main control station. There they encountered their respective parents, Professors Genma and Kho-Hom, who turned mutually surprised looks in the direction of their children before exchanging another quixotic look with each other, and only then did Genma clear his throat with a polite cough and address himself to his son and heir.

"Ranma," he began, "There's been a problem at the launch tower. I don't know what to make of this, but...would you come here and see for yourself?"

"Huh?" Ranma asked as he walked up beside his father and noticed the monitor so indicated, "What is it, Dad? All I see is-KAMI!"

"What?" Xian-Pu looked up in surprise at the boy's astonished expression.

"I don't believe this!" Ranma exclaimed, waving to her frantically, "Come here, you gotta see this, Xian-Pu! There two guys...I mean...a girl and a guy...they're climbing along the tower!"

"What?" Xian-Pu came to stand beside the curious boy then turned and looked at what was making him behave so oddly. Almost at once her eyes widened like saucers and she gave a startled oath, mentioning her ancestors in terms that brought a frown from her mother, who nonetheless looked tolerantly in her direction.

"Who are those two?" Ranma pointed at the monitor screen, "They look like..."

"Like us," Xian-Pu agreed, "But that's insane! Impossible! We've been inside the building the whole time..."

"We know," Genma replied, "We tracked you down in the hallway where you were discussing matters with the others, but as near as we can tell these two intruders just look a good deal like the both of you. No doubt those looks allowed them to bypass certain security channels, but considering that they are climbing around a seventeen story, multi-billion yen launch tower and are attempting to make their way into the shuttle that's awaiting final launch clearance, we thought you ought to be notified."

"We have teams of security people attempting to get to them," Comb remarked, "But as none of them can climb the superstructure of a tower as though they were pair of monkeys..."

"We've got to get out there," Ranma said urgently, "We can't let them wreck our experiments at this time of the evening..."

"Especially with our life's work of Nobel prize winning research about to go up in very expensive smoke," Xian-Pu immediately agreed, wondering why she felt the urge to give those strange interlopers a good, hard spanking.

"It's too dangerous for you both to risk yourselves at this late stage of the game," Genma said sadly, "Better to wait and let the experts...WHERE ARE YOU GOING?"

"Sorry, Dad," Ranma said as he raced Xian-Pu back out the door, "But we all worked so hard on this, we can't let it get scrubbed by a pair of interlopers...!"

"That boy..." Genma swore then touched his collar mike, "Security...!"

A gentle hand on his wrist caused him to turn in surprise at Comb, who smiled gently and said, "Let them do what comes naturally to them. After all, they deserve the same chance that we had when we were their age."

"Are you sure that's such a good idea?" Genma asked with a worried expression, turning to see his sons and adopted daughter were joining up with the rest of their group and heading en mass towards the nearest expert, "They might prove to be a little too much like us."

"That is the risk to be taken," Com nodded sadly, "But I think they could well be the only hope this project has if those saboteurs are not stopped quickly."

To that Genma could only nod in tacit agreement, thinking to himself that the boy had too much of his mother in him, which was not necessarily a good thing, especially in light of how much that Xian-Pu reminded him of her mother...

"Keep going, little brother!"

"I'm going already!" the purple haired boy called back, "Come on, Sis, you know I'm as committed to stopping this thing as you are, at least before you-know-  
what is allowed to happen."

"Well, you already made a royal cock-up by triggering that alarm device and alerting everyone to our presence within this timeline," the dark haired girl said to her (slightly) younger twin brother, "The last thing we need at this stage is to get caught by security and then be forced to tell them why we came back in the past to avert a future-time disaster."

"Oh sure, I can just see it now," her brother remarked with a rolling of his eyes towards the heavens, "We'll just say that we're here in the past, before either of us was even born, come to prevent our parents from cocking up the world with one of their very first experiments. Oh yes, that should land us a dandy spot in adjoining padded cells at the booby hatch, thank you very much..."

"Well, one thing's for sure," the girl sniffed, "You sure inherited Mom's gift for sarcasm. Of course with the luck we've been having on this project so far we might very well run into our parents, or-failing that-some of our aunts and uncles from the Fantastic Five. Yessiree, Doc Saotome, Man of Bronze, finds out about the project he set into motion and what effect it will have on the Earth's Bipolar field over the course of the next two decades that it's in operation. Sure put our family name in the history books..."

"To say nothing of what it did to history," her brother agreed, "Still and all, if we manage to input a few changes in the mass calculations, correct the problem that Mom inputted, then adjust for the time vector constant..."

"At least in theory anyway," his sister reminded.

"Right, in theory," her brother agreed, "Using the Quantum Relay Flux Coil and reversing the polarity of the internal magnet should create a slingshot effect that will not only fix this timeline but catapult us back into our own time, which will then readjust itself according to the changes we've calculated, and then it will be as though none of this has ever happened. The timeline we know will be voided, the one we create will become the new timeline, and we'll phase back into reality with our parents and the world none the wiser for the crisis that was avoided."

"Assuming this doesn't backfire horribly and unwind all of reality as we know it," his sister reminded.

"Well, yes, there is that," the boy admitted as he and his twin managed to at last reach the side of the shuttle, at which point he set to work placing a device along the side and then imputing commands on a key-pad.

"Time?" his sister asked as she attached a similar device to the tower and started inputting on a different keypad, her fingers flying at a speed that was quite dazzling to behold, though easily matched by the flying fingers of her brother..

"Estimated at two minutes, thirty-seven seconds," the boy replied, "Piece of Tofu, Sis, the kind you eat, not marry."

"Very funny," his sister replied, risking a glance over her shoulder, "Uh oh...better hurry. Those security people must think we're planting bombs. I think they're calling in the sharp shooters."

"Damned nuisance if they do start shooting," the boy sniffed, "I tell you, Sis, the one thing I won't miss about this timeline is the insecurity of the military forces. The Empire in these days was pretty much dominant over a third of the known world, and still they operated as though they were under constant siege by hostile powers, and this long before the Oni ever showed up on our doorstep."

"Stop thinking about your girlfriend and concentrate on doing your job," his sister replied, "We have less than a minute twenty-three seconds to save the world, and even for Dad and Mom that would be cutting it a bit too close and..."

"STOP!" a voice cried out imperiously, "Back away from the shuttle now or else!"

Both twins momentarily halted in their motions, turning to see the group assembled on the platform just short of where they were clinging like spiders to the side of the spacecraft, then the boy remarked, "I don't believe it...Dad?"

"Mom?" the girl said with an equally surprised expression, not having been prepared to find herself confronted by someone approximately her own age.

"Holy Moley," remarked Ukyo as she glanced from the pair of oddly dressed teenagers to her own brother and back again, "Doc?"

"I see it," Mu-Tsu averred, "But I don't believe it..."

"Oh my," Kasumi said in a puzzled tone of voice, "Ranma-kun...it's you!"

"Or somebody who looks a lot like him with purple hair," Nabiki averred before glancing sidelong at the purple haired girl standing beside her nominal "brother-in-law," to which she donned a speculative expression.

"Ranma...?" Ryoga gasped.

"Yeah, I know," Ranma said, "And I don't believe it either..."

"Well, that makes three of us," the purple haired boy remarked, "But how did you get up here so fast?"

"We used the elevator," Xian-Pu rather tonelessly responded.

"But we jammed the elevator to prevent this!" the black haired girl protested.

"Yeah, we know, Sugar," Ukyo replied, "Took Ham and me all of a minute to unjam it."

"I said not to call me...oh hell..." Nabiki shrugged in tacit resignation.

"Dad," the boy called out, "You have to let us finish this. It's very important that we input the right equations."

"Your formula was brilliant, Mother," the girl called down, "Just a little flaw you failed to take into account about the mass constant of the orbital vector."

"What?" Xian-Pu blinked, "What are you talking about...?"

"The new formulas that you talked Dad into imputing into the guidance relays of the satellite you are about to send up," the boy replied, "It worked a little too well and brought your device in direct line with the quantum polar shift of the planet. When the Warp curvature experiment begins it will synchronize with the Earth's Temporal field and create a tiny but significant anomaly whose effect will not be noticed for some time leading into the future. Ten years from now the results will become measurable, and then the effect will create a precession that will cause a Timefield Wake that will disrupt the normal flow of energies over the entire planet. In twenty years, about our time, the effect will cause an irreversible cascade that will literally rip the timefield apart, which is why we came back in time to prevent this..."

"Wait, wait! Slow down there a minute!" Ranma urged, "Are you saying that my device is dangerous? That it has the potential of adversely affecting the planet's timefield?"

"But that would mean...the Lanier equations..." Xian-Pu blinked then started at the two claiming to be from the future and said, "Who are you?"

"Um...well..." the girl hesitated.

"We have to, Sis," the boy urged, "Besides, if this works out, then they won't remember us as ever having been here."

"I see the logic of this," the girl sighed, "My name is Arashi...Saotome Arashi."

"And I'm Saotome Kinma," the boy revealed, "Now let us do our job, Dad. We're almost halfway through inputting the new equations."

"Wait a second, wait a second!" Ranma waved his hands, "I mean...you can't be...no way! Timetravel's not possible..."

"It's not only possible," Arashi replied, "But you made the discovery that makes it happen."

"Thirty-six seconds," Kinma started moving his hand over the keypad once again, a gesture followed rapidly by his sister, "Sorry, Dad, but there's no more time to waste. If we don't do this in time we'll miss our window and fail to slingshot our way back to our own timeline, so as much as we'd like to stay and chat with you and our aunts and uncles..."

"Uh...just one problem...Son?" Ranma said dubiously.

"And what is, Father?" Arashi asked.

"Xian-Pu and I...we haven't had time yet to input the new equations."

There was a brief pause before the twins exchanged horrified looks, then they turned and stared back at their elders with Kinma saying, "Please tell us you're joking, Dad..."

"I'm not joking," Ranma scowled, "Now who are you...really?"

"Oh Frak!" Arashi hastily stared at her watch and cried, "TIME QUAKE! EVERYONE BRACE YOURSELVES, IT'S GOING TO HIT-NOW!"

"Huh?" Ranma responded when he noticed that the tower that he and the others were standing upon was starting to shake beneath their feet.

"What in the name of my ancestors...?" Xian-Pu started to say when the shaking intensified, all but knocking their group off their feet as they hastily scrambled to lay hold of something supportive.

"What's happening?" Ryoga cried.

"Is it an earthquake?" Ukyo asked.

"No," Kasumi cried over the increasing volume of the tremors, "It feels much worse than an earthquake...it's not just the ground that's shaking...!"

"Oh hell!" Nabiki said with widened eyes as they all turned to see a massive fissure form in the air, literally ripping a tear in the fabric of reality.

"We're too late!" Kinma cried, "It's gonna happen!"

"Worse than that!" Arashi turned a horrified look towards her brother, "We made it happen! We're the ones who screwed up the formula! We've doomed our own future!"

For some strange reason Xian-Pu felt the urge to send these two to their rooms without supper, but even as she started to ask why she felt this way the fissure bore down upon the lot of them, and then the entire tower seemed to rip apart as reality became a solid white oblivion into which their universe was inverted...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Cerulean Blues: shadowmane

A new crisis dawns for the Multiverse, which recalls to active service the gallant defenders of Time and Space that we know from the previous "Realities" series, but can even the Time Patrol put to rights a threat this massive, and who will be called upon to save the day for the cause of right, virtue and clean living? Yeah, another screwy bunch of kids gets drafted into the war, more square pegs in round holes who's job it is to protect reality as we know it against the forces that would bring oblivion to us all (Boy, are we in trouble!), so stay tuned for: "Ranko on a Roll," or, "Pop Chasing on the Timestream!" Be there!

X -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: ~ All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	2. Chapter 2

RanWarp02

Realities Warped!

By Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi and other artists too numerous to mention)

Chapter Two.

A Normal Life

Continuum #00173684

"Bye, Mom, Pop, see you later!"

"Oh, Ranma-dear?" his mother called out to him, holding up a bento, "Don't forget your lunch, I made it special with your favorite treats."

"Thanks, Mom," Ranma said as he accepted the bento box and hastily stuffed it into his backpack, "Don't know what I'd do if you didn't keep reminding me. Guess I'd forget my own head if it wasn't attached, huh?"

"You just be yourself and have a nice time at your new school," Nodoka Saotome said pleasantly, "I know it isn't easy moving to a different town and all, but your father's job requires that we all make some small sacrifices, yes?"

"Oh yeah," Ranma averred as he tossed a look towards his father, who was busy reading the paper, as per his usual morning custom, "I know how that is. Well...see you around, Pop..."

"Ranma," his father's voice caught him in mid-motion, "After you get done with your school work stop on home early. We have an important family meeting to attend, and I want you to be present."

"Huh?" Ranma turned around and studied his normally taciturn father, "Family meeting? What is that supposed to...?"

"It's a surprise for you, Boy," his father replied, folding up the paper and studying his son with a disconcertingly frank expression, "We're visiting an old friend of mine from my college days. That's all that needs be said for now, but your mother and I are expecting you to be on your best behavior as you will be representing this family tonight. Now, run along and we'll explain everything to you later."

"Huh?" Ranma asked suspiciously, "What's the big secret, Pop? What are you and Mom...?"

"That will become obvious when you meet the Tendo family today, Ranma-dear," his mother assured him.

"Tendo family?" Ranma asked in growing confusion.

"They represent an old family of traditional martial artists whom I trained with in my youth," Genma explained, "As I trained you in the martial arts, it was arranged by me and Tendo Soun that we would test our children in a friendly match, you against the youngest of Soun's daughters..."

"Daughters?" Ranma asked with a puzzled expression, "You mean I'm going to fight with some girl?"

"Not a girl," his father said critically, "A martial artist, and a fairly good one from what I hear. Don't worry, Boy, you'll do well enough in a friendly competition. After all, it's not like she'll show you up or anything, right?"

Ranma was less than sanguine at this proposal, "I don't get it, why do I have to fight with her at all? Doesn't she have any brothers or..."

"Sadly no," his mother sighed, "Soun's wife passed on some years ago, and she only gave him daughters, but there's no reason to feel bad about it, Ranma-dear. Your father has trained you well to be both a gentleman and a scholar, so I'm sure you'll be mindful not to injure a young lady during practice."

"Uh...right," Ranma said dubiously, "No problems..."

Of course, once he was out the door and headed on his way towards the school, Nodoka turned to her husband and asked, "Dearest...do you think we did the right thing just now? I really think you ought to have told him..."

"Told him that the girl he'll be sparring with could be his potential wife?" Genma said gruffly, "Why worry our son with details like that when he's got enough on his mind already? Moving to Furinkan is a big adjustment for all of us, after all, and Ranma just needs time to work himself into a whole new lifestyle. Time enough for him to have the burden of an engagement once he's settled in and gotten used to his new fianc e."

"I suppose that you do know best, dearest," Nodoka sighed, gazing fondly at where her son had been standing only moments ago, "But it just seems as though he's growing up so fast...one minute he was my little boy whom I could cuddle in my arms, and now..."

"I'm sure he'll adjust in time, Nodoka," Genma reassured his wife, "Just like I did when I was his age, when I put aside all that foolish nonsense that I used to believe when I was studying under the Master."

"Yes, but he's been gone for well over ten long years," Nodoka marveled, "And no one has seen or heard from him in so long, it's hard to believe what a long shadow he used to cast over all of us..."

"Thankfully those dark times are long behind us," Genma said with a somewhat furtive expression, "And I came to my senses in time to realize what a waste I was making of my life, thanks to your patient counseling, and I think Ranma's life has been the better for it."

"Really?" Nodoka asked.

"Trust me on that," Genma shuddered, "If I had still been a pawn of the Master, then there's no telling what insanity I might have visited upon all of us. Recall that the martial arts totally ruled my life and obsessed me like nothing else you can imagine. Under the Master I learned to look out for myself and to treasure what small creature comforts I could find in life, but he often compelled me and Soun to do things that shame me even to this day. The Kami know what I might have put the boy through if I'd a mind to subject him to that sort of mental and physical torture..."

"But you were stronger than that," Nodoka smiled, "And because you broke free from your Master you were able to give us a happy and stable life that involves so much more than your obsessions. And Ranma has been a very good son because of this, obedient and attentive in his school work, just the sort of manly son of whom any mother could be proud..."

"Let's hope Soun's girls agree with you," Genma mused, "Because the boy is good, probably better than I was when I was his age, but compared to what I learned while training under the Master..." he shuddered once again, "...There's just no comparison, and Ranma has been sheltered from things that might have toughened him up yet broken his spirit many times over again. That's why I sometimes wonder if I made the right choice keeping him at home instead of going on the road like in the days when Soun and I trained..."

"You swore that you would never go back to the way of life you lived then," Nodoka gently reminded.

"I know that I did," Genma agreed with a sigh, "And I guess we'll all just have to live with the consequences...one way or another..."

"Small sacrifices...just 'cause cause'..." Ranma huffed, "Yeah, right. Like giving up my friends in Juuban is that small a thing? Bet they figure cousin Usagi and the others will forget all about me...yeah...and they probably will too, which is the real kicker..."

Ranma was feeling somewhat lower in spirits than when he had gotten up in the morning, but that mostly due to the mysterious antics of his otherwise doting parents...or at least his mother was doting, while there were times when Ranma wished he could get more of his father's attention away from his work as a salary man for an advertising firm. About the only time they ever talked to each other anymore was in workouts and around breakfast. Sometimes he almost wondered if his father really cared what kind of a life his only son was living, but deep down in his heart Ranma supposed his father did care and just had a hard time showing his emotions. Yessiree...just like any other father around, or at least to the best of Ranma's limited experience and general understanding of such matters.

He already missed hanging out with his old school buddies. Shingu could be a bit of an ass, and Umino was really nerdy and a bit weird at times, while Ryo had those vision things that seemed to mess up his head a lot, but generally they were all right guys to pal around with. And it wasn't like a lot happened to make their lives interesting and all that. In fact, if he had to characterize his life so far in one word it would be dreadfully dull and amazingly uneventful. At least hanging around with friends made it possible to ignore the tedium, but with his schoolmates now far off in a different suburb of Tokyo, he would have to get by without that emotional anchor to hold his life steady.

"Damn," he muttered softly as he walked alone down streets that were surprisingly light on traffic, "I wish something interesting would happen to shake things up. Like maybe a monster attack, or one of those urban legends about Youma that used to be talked a lot about over school gossip..."

He wondered why he felt a slight tingling along his spine, but being inexperienced in such matters, Ranma might be forgiven his ignorance about what voicing such wishes aloud could mean when in a suburb as significant as Nerima.

"No one around," he noted, voicing aloud a concern that had been gnawing at the back of his mind as an incongruity. He glanced over his shoulders and wondered where all the people where, and why were there so few cars on the street? Considering the population density of Tokyo and how risky it was sometimes to cross the street without carefully looking both ways, the absence of what he considered normal levels of traffic was slightly disconcerting. And Nerima was hardly off somewhere in the boonies, even if most of the buildings he could see were barely two or three stories at most, including the one that he recognized immediately as a school building from its clock-tower frontice, which itself reminded him that he would have to pick up the pace a bit in order to avoid being late for his first day of classes.

He was almost there when another boy stopped him, "Excuse me...can you help me get to Furinkan High School? It's very important..."

"Huh?" Ranma turned around and blinked in recognition, then started, "Ryoga?"

"Huh?" the other boy blinked back then said, "Ranma? What are you doing here?"

"Going to school," Ranma replied, "What about you?"

"The same thing," the young man held up a card that he held in his palm and said, "Do you happen to know where Furinkan is?"

"I think so," Ranma replied, "That's where I'm headed."

"Really?" Ryoga blinked, "You mean this isn't Juuban?"

"No, Baka," Ranma said with gruff good humor, shaking his head and smiling in spite of himself, "My family moved to Nerima, and they enrolled me at Furinkan. What about you?"

"The same," Ryoga blinked for a third time, "Wow...what a coincidence..."

"You're telling me?" Ranma playfully punched the other boy in the arm, "C'mon, I'll get us both there, no problem. So...still have that thing about directions, huh?"

Ryoga just sighed at this, "I wish I knew what was wrong with me. The doctors can't seem to come up with a cause why I always get turned around about left and right, north and south and all that. You don't know how easy you've got it, Ranma, being gifted with a normal direction sense..."

"Hey, Normal's my middle name, remember?" Ryoga joked back, taking the lead as he added, "Y'know, it's good to see you again, Buddy. Here I was thinking I wouldn't be seeing any familiar faces at all today, and here you show up to make life interesting for me again."

"Interesting?" Ryoga sniffed, "I guess you could call it that, but my life's no bed of roses, unlike with you and your family..."

"Your mom riding you again?" Ranma sighed, "Yeah, parents...what can you do about 'em? Like with me...my Pop said I've gotta go fight with some girl later today, the daughter of an old friend of his..."

"You're fighting with a girl?" Ryoga was surprised, "That doesn't sound like you at all, Ranma."

"Hey, it's not like it's my idea or nothing," Ranma assured him, "Something about Pop wanting me to test his training against that of the Tendo family. Honestly, I don't see how fighting some girl is gonna prove anything, and you know I hate picking fights with people who can't fight back...what the heck is all that about?"

He and Ryoga halted in place when they got to the gates of the high school, for before them was a scene of inexplicable mayhem and carnage laid out before their eyes in stark detail, leading both boys to briefly wonder if they had come upon the scene of some major calamity that had left dozens of male students in athletic gear strewn out across the campus. A second look put to rest that concern, though it raised other questions (and not a few hackles) as they found the source of the problem in the form of a short dark-haired human tornado presently plowing through the midst of other athletically dressed opponents, knocking them down left, right and center with methodical brutality, and a callous disregard for the personal health and safety of her numerous opponents.

Both boys stood open-mouthed as the dark haired girl finished off the last of her foemen with a few economical bursts of incomprehensible strength, sending a sumo wrestler flat out on his face with a smashing uppercut before punching through a tennis racket and sending the boy swinging it back-handed into unpleasant dreamland. Then at last she stood panting over the fallen remains of two score fellow students, sweeping them with a contemptful glance before catching sight of the two observers, at which point she scowled back in their direction.

"Well?" she barked, "You want a piece of this too?"

"Huh?" Ranma replied without blinking his eyes, seeing the dark haired girl as something out of a fight manga, definitely not to be taken lightly.

For once it was Ryoga who proved to have the quicker wits about him, which was why he waved his hands about and said, "Uh...no...we were just...observing. That's pretty good form you have there. Of course, you lean a little far when you swing a punch, and you tend to go off-balance a bit when you pivot..."

"I what?" the dark haired girl scowled back, anger and confusion flashing in her dark brown eyes.

"What are you doing, idiot?" Ranma hissed at his best friend, "Are you trying to make her angry?"

"What do you know about it?" the dark haired girl immediately challenged, "Are you saying there's something wrong with my technique?"

"Oh, no...I don't mean anything is wrong with you," Ryoga hastily assured her, "I'm just saying I noticed a few areas where you could stand some improvement. My mother taught me never to overcommit or shift my center of gravity too far to one side...it tends to leave an opening that a skilled opponent could..."

"So, you do think you can show me something, is that it?" the girl declared angrily, raising her fists, "Well, why don't you let me see how good you really are then..."

"Ah...hey, time-out!" Ranma made a gesture with his hands and interposed himself between the girl and his best buddy, "There's no reason for us to fight, and we're gonna be late for class. I mean...we could settle things over lunch if you're not in too much of a hurry..."

"You stay out of this, you..." the girl paused to flash a glare his way, "What did you say your name was again?"

"Who, me?" Ranma replied, "Ah...nobody special. I'm just Saotome Ranma, a new transfer student trying to live long enough to attend my first day of classes..."

"Hibiki Ryoga," Ryoga replied as he continued to study the dark haired girl as though becoming oddly fascinated.

"Tendo Akane," she replied automatically, "Now let's get this over with right now, and don't worry, it'll be done with time enough for me to get to my classes."

"AHEM!" a voice rather loudly made the sound of clearing its throat before a tall boy wearing a Kendo hakama stepped out into the open, "How rude these boorish gentlemen to interrupt our morning workout session, fair Akane. Be assured, however, that I will not allow this rudeness to go unnoticed..."

"Huh?" Ranma blinked, wondering what nut house this other boy had just stepped out from, and did the doctors know he was running loose without his medication.

The girl named Akane just rolled her eyes and said, "I was hoping we could save that for later, Kuno-san. Now, do you mind? I want to see if this guy is as good as he claims to be..."

"I'm not claiming anything," Ryoga replied, "But if you want to spar with me, then I'm ready."

"What?" Ranma rounded on his friend, "Are you nuts? Did you see what that crazy chick did to all these guys? Don't tell me you want to fight with her..."

"I'm not fighting her, Ranma," Ryoga replied, "This is only going to be like sparring, and don't worry, I'll be real gentle."

"Well gee," Akane snorted back, "Aren't you the gallant one. And who says you need to be gentle around me?"

"HOLD I do but say again!" the tall boy cried out, "I will not permit you to do battle with the fair Akane until you have tested yourself against me. You cannot brazen your way in here and expect to be afforded such a rare courtesy, you must prove your mettle in a test between men..."

"Oh yeah?" Ryoga asked with a surprising level of calm in his voice, "And who's asking?"

That stopped the tall boy in his tracks as though being curtly reminded of his proper manners, "My apologies...I should recall that it is the place of the aggrieved to give his name before a battle. Therefore know you that before you stands the puissant might of he who is known far and wide as the Blue Thunder of Furinkan High School, the rising star of the Kendo world whose lightest glance strikes fears in the hearts of my foes, whose approach is heralded by the crack of doom on the horizon...Kuno Tatewaki, age seventeen, Class C, though you may call me...Sempai..."

And-oddly enough-the sound of thunder did indeed reverberate in the background as the tall boy flashed a wooden bokken as though it were a genuine katana, the effect causing Ranma to start a little before saying, "Whoah...nice effect."

To his complete surprise a voice near his shoulder replied, "I would tend to agree, and if I didn't know better I'd swear he pays someone to do that."

"Huh?" Ranma turned to find a stranger standing by his side, a brown haired girl whose pageboy cut and angular good looks gave her a slightly predatory look that he found momentarily disconcerting. She looked at him with pleasant brown eyes as though checking out his net worth them smiled back at him and nodded in his direction.

"Tendo Nabiki," she said, "And pleased to meet you...what was your name again?"

"Saotome Ranma," he automatically repeated, then blinked and said, "Tendo? Um...you wouldn't happen to know a Tendo Soun, would you?"

At once a wary, guarded look came about the girl as she eyed him more sharply, "Why? What has he done now?"

"Um...nothing," Ranma gulped, "My Pop said he was old buddies with your Pop, that's all. Fact is, he said something about visiting your place after school and getting into a sparring match with one of his daughters..."

"Oh, you mean Akane?" the wariness was replaced by speculative interest as the girl nodded to the dark haired girl, "My younger sister."

Ranma blanched, looking from the shorthaired girl to the dark haired one and back again, "You're...sisters?"

"Hard to believe, I know," the strange girl said with some amusement, "But that's genetics for you. So...your daddy and mine are old friends, and they want you to spar with my little sister? Interesting..."

"I really don't know anything about it," Ranma admitted, not sure why he felt compelled to say that to this sharp-eyed girl, other than the instinctive sense that it was better to stay on her good side rather than to be antagonistic, "He just sort of sprang it on me while I was heading out the door..."

"Well then," she inclined her head with an almost friendly air and said, "What's the story about your friend, and why is he so hot to challenge Tatewaki and my sister?"

"Oh, Ryoga?" Ranma shrugged, "He's just a friend from my old school. We spar together sometimes, and he's pretty good..."

"Better than you?" she asked a bit sharply.

For some reason Ranma bristled slightly at the challenging note in that statement and said, "Hey, we hold our own, but...well...he's kind of strong for his size, so don't underestimate him..."

"He'd better be real strong," Nabiki looked directly towards where Ryoga was moving to face off with the tall kendo student, "Kuno-chan isn't kidding, and by his tone he means to teach your friend a lesson."

"Huh?" Ranma turned back to the impending fight then groaned softly, "Ryoga, you baka..."

Akane's sentiments were of a similar nature, though in her case it was more than simple annoyance that her morning routine had been interrupted, seeing how she knew implicitly that this fight would be over her, much to her discomfort and dismay, which is why she said, "You'd better back down and leave now if you don't want to be hurt, Hibiki-kun..."

"Thanks, but I'll be all right," the other boy replied, taking a serious stance as he studied his bokken-wielding opponent, "Anytime you're ready."

"Very well, Churl, have at you!" Kuno declared, then like a flash he struck at Ryoga, who easily side-stepped the slash and moved in for a swift counter-  
attack, only to be blunted by a defensive slash by Kuno's sword that partially ripped his shirt open.

"What?" Ryoga stared down at himself in dismay then growled, "My mother stitched that together for me, you-BAKA!"

This time he moved with greater speed and power than could be believed, and it was all that Kuno could do to dodge the swift series of blows that were aimed in his direction. Akane got round-eyed and Nabiki's eyebrows disappeared into her hairline while Ranma fought the urge to hide his face in his hands and studied the movements of the two opponents with a critical eye, judging that Ryoga was definitely on the edge of one of his berserker phases, which meant that this Tatewaki guy had best tire him out before he got seriously injured.

But then Kuno saw what he thought was an opening and took a swift slash that missed his foe but cleaved through a nearby tree, startling Ranma, who had not expected to see such damage from as dull a weapon as a bokken.

"What the...?" Ranma asked in amazement.

"I forgot to warn you," said Nabiki, "Kuno-chan studied Nampo, which means he can charge a bokken with a portion of his Ki and make it hard and strong enough to cut through solid objects, like your friend if he doesn't keep dodging."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about Ryoga," Ranma said, "In fact, this fight is as good as already over."

Nabiki was about to question him on that when Kuno, getting frustrated, cried, "How dare you avoid me, you worm! I am the great Kuno Tatewaki-!"

"Yeah, so what?" his opponent snarled, "I'm Hibiki Ryoga-!" and with that he delivered the blow that he had meant to give at the beginning of the fight, a clear punch to the other boy's solar plexus that picked Kuno off his feet and sent him flying into a far wall with force enough to leave a spider-web pattern upon impact.

Ranma just stared in dismay with his mouth open, "No..."

"Wow," Nabiki said in just as hollow a voice, "You weren't kidding about him being strong for his size, were you?"

"Ryoga, you idiot!" Ranma called out, "What were you trying to do to that guy, kill him?"

"Huh?" Ryoga checked himself and turned to see the worry in his friend's expression, then he gazed at the slumping body of his foe and said, "Oh no...I lost control again...I didn't mean to..."

"Ah..." Akane said somewhat reluctantly, "Don't worry about Kuno Sempai, he's...pretty resilient. Um...just for the record...how strong are you?"

"Ah well..." Ryoga rubbed the back of his head and said, "It's kind of hard to say...I've always been a little strong for my age..."

"No kidding," Akane said dryly, "Um...maybe we can postpone that sparring match until later? I thin the bell's about to ring, and I don't want to be stuck out in the hall carrying water pails..."

"Water pails?" Ranma looked curiously at Nabiki, "They do that at this school?"

"Oh yes," Nabiki nodded, "Which means we definitely should make tracks to our homeroom classes. Nice meeting you, by the way...hope to see you later when you come over to spar with my little sister."

"Oh yeah," Ranma murmured, seeing the dark haired girl talking to his best friend, "Lucky me..."

Inwardly, though, he was both vexed and intrigued by this curious situation. Back at his last school he had numbered several girls among his closest of friends but had never been actually close to any of them, other than a brief fling with Rei that had ultimately gotten no where. For some strange reason girls just did not seem to notice him and in fact tended to gravitate towards other guys, such as the often-clueless Ryoga. Ranma was the one most often left feeling left out of social situations, and for reasons that totally eluded him since he could not think why he was so invisible to most women his own age. Truly it was most vexing.

Of course there was one brief friendship to a fellow classmate that had taken a surprising turn of events, but as it was a closely guarded secret that one of the students at Juuban had been a closet cross-dresser, Ranma tried hard not to think about that or what might have been if he had found the nerve to tell Ukyo that he kind of actually liked her. She might have thought him weird and perverted, though, and with her temper she might have gotten painfully expressive...and all because her late father was some kind of fruitcake who had insisted that his daughter pose as a man and had stipulated in his will that she be a boy in order to inherit, so in a way Ranma supposed it had all made a kind of twisted sense. In all he still had felt pained when Ukyo had moved on to another school and left him behind feeling like an idiot for never having come clean about his feelings, and sometimes now he wondered if Ukyo ever thought of him in a favorable light. He missed her friendship and the secret they shared regarding her hidden nature.

But now, out of the blue, a girl had actually walked up to him and started a conversation, and a fairly attractive young lady at that. It was enough to make Ranma wonder if maybe his fortunes had changed, though he tried hard not to get his hopes up too high. There was that about this Nabiki which suggested that she was not someone to be taken lightly, and all it might take was one misstep or misstatement and he could kiss his chances with her goodbye for an entire semester. Also too there was a sense that she had a very mercurial mind that might be difficult to reach without knowing more about her likes and preferences and whether or not she thought it was too "jock" for him to practice martial arts.

Of course that other girl, her sister, that Akane...brrr! Just thinking of how he had seen her pound those guys, and the flash of annoyance that she had turned on him...definitely she was not someone you approached in a casual nature. The sheer power that she seemed to wield impressed him on some levels, but he tended to agree with Ryoga's assessment that she was a little too wild and impulsive in her movements. Whoever her teacher was, he was good as instructors go, but he needed to work more on instilling discipline and restraint to her more generalized form. Some serious Kempo training might help calm her down a bit, or maybe some Akaido, with its emphasis on meditation, restraint and the learning to apply force in a way that turned an opponent's strength against him. Anything to get her to calm down so she did not inadvertently hurt somebody in a fight...like Ranma himself when they met in formal sparring.

Whatever the case might be, however, Ranma sure felt pity for whoever claimed that hellion for a girlfriend...

He was almost to the main building, lost in thoughts such as these, when the newest surprise greeted him, the sound of several voices raised in surprise and dismay upon finding themselves rudely deposited in the middle of nowhere. As fast as Ranma whirled around, he was still stunned to witness a phenomenon that looked as though it had sprung straight out of an Anime or Manga as over a half dozen odd looking people landed in the middle of the school yard, one of whom looked passingly familiar as he landed in the middle of a human dogpile, more casualties added to the other recumbent bodies stretched out over the campus.

"What in the world?" he heard Nabiki remark, proving that-even for her-this was not a typical everyday situation.

"You got me there," Ranma said, then blinked and pointed, "Hey...doesn't she look a little like you?"

"That girl in the coveralls?" Nabiki asked, then blanched and added, "No way...I don't believe it..."

"Oh, my aching back!" complained said girl whose resemblance to Nabiki was so astonishingly near to life that even her voice sounded identical to the short haired girl standing right beside him, "Anybody get the number of that wormhole...whatever it was?"

"Never mind that!" grunted a dead ringer for Ryoga, "Wound you guys mind getting off my back?" The squeal of a small black piglet echoed this assessment.

"How in the world did we wind up here?" said a longhaired boy with glasses whom Ranma had never previously encountered, "It looks like some kind of a High School..."

"That's because it is a high school...OUR high school to be exact," groaned a girl who definitely did resemble the other girl named Akane, "But what the heck are we doing here...and where's the space port?"

"That was going to be my question," said a purple haired girl in Chinese dress as she stood up and dusted herself off, looking around until she spotted the observers and singled one out by saying, "Ranma...you can explain this, please?"

"Hah?" Ranma said as he stared at the purple haired girl then took notice of the one beside her and said, "Ucchan?"

"You know these people, Ranma-kun?" Nabiki asked.

"Would somebody please mind giving me some room to breathe," a pigtailed boy wearing a lab coat complained as he crawled out from the midst of the other bodies, then checked himself over before saying, "Everything appears to be intact and in working order. Everybody else make it through okay?"

"Sure thing, Doc," Ukyo remarked before nodding at Ranma, "But check this out, there's you and Ham's long-lost twin cousins or something or other..."

"What?" the one addressed as "Doc" remarked before turning and staring at Ranma, "No way..."

It was as if a curious thrill of electricity passed between them, but then a redheaded girl piped up, "Now I've seen everything, Big-Bro...you in stereo, check this out!"

"They could almost be twins, or parallel duplicate selves, or something," Ukyo remarked, "Hey, Doc, you think maybe he's your evil counterpart from some negative reverse dimension?"

"Get real, Sis," Ranma sniffed, "But still...the resemblance is...substantial."

"I'd call it disturbing and a lot of other words myself," Ryoga said as he came to stand beside his own counterpart, "Who are you and why do you look so much like me?"

"Bweee?" said the piglet held in the arms of the lab-coated Ryoga.

"I don't believe it," Akane asked of her counterpart, "Who are you?"

"Who am I?" the other Akane shot back, "Who the heck are you?"

"I asked first," the first Akane reminded.

"So?" the other Akane countered, "I've got just as much a right to an answer as you do."

"So who died and made you my boss?" the first Akane sniffed.

"I could ask you the very same thing you know..."

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" the purple haired girl called out, raising her arms to get everyone's attention, "One of you is hard enough to listen to, no way I'll want to hear you in stereo! Ranma...explain to me the meaning of this, and why are there now two of you?"

"Hey, you think I know?" Ranma shot back, surprised out of mentally "checking out" the nicely rounded packaging of the purple haired foreigner (for such he guessed her to be from her odd accent) and feeling more than a little guilty about noticing her over Ukyo, who was standing right beside her.

"Actually, I think she was addressing me," the other Ranma said more calmly, "But the truth is that I'm as much in the dark as the rest of you guys. The nearest I can come to a hypothesis is that the device inside the shuttle somehow went off and triggered some kind of bizarre feedback wave that knocked us through time and space into a parallel dimension."

"Amazingly close to the facts, Dad," someone called out from the nearby clock tower as a pair of teenagers alighted on the ground near to the main body, a purple haired boy and a black-haired girl, the latter of whom noted, "Not bad for an educated guess, though it wasn't the device inside the shuttle itself that caused the dimension-loop feedback."

"The what?" Nabiki blinked her eyes.

"Oh, it's simple, really," the other Nabiki commented, "A feedback loop is a phenomenon you encounter quite often in my field, only applied to different principles using a Quantum State resonator for a model..."

"I get you, Ham," Ukyo grinned, "Something opened a portal between dimensions and sucked us through, depositing us here where there's people just like us, only living in a parallel universe. Cool!"

"I wouldn't say that exactly," the long-haired boy with the glasses remarked, "Being sucked into another world could be quite perilous for all of us, wouldn't you agree, Ranma?"

"Hey, I'm just winging it at the moment," the lab-coated Ranma turned to the purple haired boy and his dark haired companion, "Would you mind explaining for us just how you two are connected to what happened back there on the launch pad? You were attempting to program in some new instructions for my Quantum Relay Flux Coil that were intended to prevent something like this from happening, right?"

"Um, yes, basically," the girl remarked, "We traveled back through time in order to prevent the incident that caused so much grief in our own era, but it seems that Kinma and I...miscalculated somewhat..."

"I told you it might be problematic, Sis," the boy named Kinma replied, "Altering the past to recreate the future has all sorts of quantum variables that we barely even understand at present..."

"Oh, so now it's my fault we picked the wrong few minutes to attempt to reprogram the shuttle?" the girl bristled.

"You know I never meant it like that, Arashi," the boy complained, "I just meant that we were probably off a few steps in our calculations..."

"Arashi?" the redheaded girl beside the lab-coated Ranma remarked, "Kinma? Hey, what's going on here, Big Bro? And why are those guys calling you 'Dad' all of a sudden?"

"More importantly," said the Nabiki in coveralls as she turned to regard the purple haired girl, "Why did they refer to you as mother?"

"Mother?" one of the two Akane's whipped around with a shocked expression.

"I have not the foggiest notion of what you mean," the purple haired Chinese girl replied, frowning slightly before adding, "Unless...you say you both come from the future? But that would mean...?"

She and the lab-coated Ranma turned to regard one another with mutually shocked expressions.

"Whoah!" the redheaded girl began to grin, "You been holding out on me, Big Bro?"

"Hey, I got no idea!" that Ranma protested, turning to the Chinese girl and saying, "Xian-Pu...I..."

"Shampoo?" the Nabiki wearing a school uniform arched an eyebrow, "That's her actual name?"

Xian-Pu bristled and was about to say something unpleasant on this subject when whatever she had been about to say got drowned out by an angry, "RAAAAANNNNMAAAA-!"

"Hey, wait!" the lab-coated Ranma waved his hands defensively, "It's not what you think, Akane! I...!"

He got no further than this before the angry girl hauled off and belted him with sufficient force to send the boy momentarily airborne into the nearby clock tower, which fortunately broke his heavenward flight and allowed him to slide leisurely to the ground, whereupon he lay stunned for the next several moments.

"Hey, what did you do that for?" the other Ranma protested.

"Oh, that's nothing," the Nabiki in coveralls remarked, "Akane routinely boffs the guy into near earth orbit at least twice a week, which is just her way of showing her affection to her iinazuke."

"Iinazuke?" the other Akane paled, "Him? You've got to be kidding!"

"Oh, good one, Ham," Ukyo remarked, "Give the game away to the locals why don't you? Really a great way to mess up a timeline."

"Ham?" the other Nabiki turned to her counterpart and said, "You let her get away with calling you that?"

"Not willingly, I assure you," the Nabiki in coveralls winced, "But she's from Kansai, so you learn to make a few adjustments."

"Still and all," the Ryoga holding a pig spoke up, "I really don't think you should be that hard on my little brother, Akane-san..."

"Brother?" the other Ryoga asked in confusion.

"Aunt Akane," the purple haired boy named Kinma said to the angry girl, "You really shouldn't get jealous about Dad and..."

"Jealous?" that Akane bristled, "Who says I'm JEALOUS over that baka and...and...and...this!" she waved a hand in Xian-Pu's direction.

"Well, excuse me for living," Xian-Pu scowled at the girl, "And here I thought you wanted to hae me take him off of your hands, which is why we made that agreement."

"Yeah, but that was before...!" Akane waved her hands at the fallen Ranma and sputtered.

"What's her problem?" the other Akane asked in mild vexation.

"Long story, Sis," the Nabiki in coveralls remarked, "But if you don't know now then you're better off not knowing later."

"Oh my," yet another stranger remarked as Ranma turned to see a tall and willowy girl approach from the other side of the building, "Did Ranma-kun say something to upset Akane again?"

"You mean like he usually does," the long haired boy sighed, "Poor benighted Ranma-kun..."

The tall girl turned back then said, "Oh my...Ranma-kun? But how did there come to be two of you? Is this an example of Quantum Parallel Satosis?"

"Aunt Kasumi," the purple haired Kinma smiled in delight.

"At last," his sister agreed, "Someone sensible who can help us to set right this nonsense."

"Oh my," the tall girl said once again as she took in the two teenagers, "You're the ones from before...my future nephew and niece?"

"Um...not exactly," Kinma explained, "It's just...we seem to be confronted by this rather peculiar situation..."

"Quantum Parallax," Arashi noted, "We came back in time to prevent a calamity that was already in the making, but somehow a singularity was formed that appears to have caused a slingshot effect that reverberated sideways, not backwards as we'd envisioned..."

"Well," Kasumi replied, "I can't say that I find that too surprising. Don't you know that it's an established principle of Quantum Temporal Physics that states that an object cannot loop back on its own timefield due to the Nestorian Dictum that altering the past would void the present for an objects empirical existence, and therefore all that you would achieve would be a lateral curve that would place you in a parallel timeframe."

"Huh?" the Akane in the school uniform blinked, sharing a mutual look of astonishment worn by Nabiki, her middle sister.

"We know all that," Arashi said testily, "But we thought we could compensate for the temporal overlay by merging at a quantum juncture where probability lines crossed and make use of that window to effect the changes to our timeline that were needed..."

"But then you would confront the Goldblum Hypothesis regarding Muon Fluid Stasis," Kasumi patiently explained, "The Boson field of contractual matter, if disturbed, excites a photon wave that shifts matter along a quantum vibratory plane to resettle in a new configuration, thereby forming a third possibility that differs in Precession from both the original curve and the intended model."

"In other words our going back in time caused the past to alter?" Kinma stared at his sister in horror, "Sis, this is terrible! We didn't prevent the disaster from happening, and now we've spawned a whole new parallax..."

"I can see that, now let me think this through," the dark haired girl scowled in concentration, "Quantum shift of an established field, forming an intersection curve with another plane very different from the continuum that we hailed from..."

"Yes, that would confirm with what I have so far observed concerning this timeline," Kasumi nodded, "As I did not appear with the rest of you here in the open, I had time enough to visit one of the classrooms and observe a history text that tells a very different story from the chronology that we know of as our own. For example...did you know that the Nippon of this world has a constitutional monarchy set along Parliamentary and not the Republican principles of our own Empire?"

"You're kidding," the Nabiki in coveralls blinked, "A Parliamentary Democracy? Like in the British Commonwealth?"

"That's not all," Kasumi replied, "I found out that Northern America is no longer part of the British system but broke off to form an independent empire that was strong enough to defeat Nippon during the last great global conflict. These days this America is allied with Nippon along political and economic trade lines against the Chinese mainland..."

"Hah?" the other Nabiki said as she gawked at this waspish walking encyclopedia, while Ranma just shook his head and tried to figure out just what it was that he was hearing.

"Oneechan?" the Akane in school uniform asked blandly, no less astonished than her older middle sister.

"What the heck is going on here?" one version of Ryoga asked.

"Bear with us, Brother," the other Ryoga urged, even as the piglet bweed his own sentiment in the matter.

"Okay," Ranma finally remarked, "This is getting too weird. Who are you guys and what the heck is going on here?"

"We were just explaining that, Father," Arashi sniffed, "Weren't you listening?"

"Oh, I was listening all right," Ranma replied, "But I didn't understand one word in five of what you were saying."

"I think that leaves it up to me, Pop," yet another stranger said as he walked up to join the crowd, a brown haired youth with a long braid that stretched down his backside and dressed in an oddly sleek outfit of black and silver, "I was clueing in to what these Eggheads were saying, and I think I gleamed enough of the gist to get the drift of where this is headed."

"Who...?" Nabiki asked of this new stranger.

"That's not important," the young man replied, giving her a peculiar wink before turning back to regard the other strangers, "What I'm hearing is that you guys screwed up some fancy science experiment that had to do with future time travel, which is why I'm no longer where I was five minutes ago, and why it is that you lot are standing around here yammering about quantum theory."

"I see," Arashi mused, "And you are, I take it, our counterpart from this dimension?"

"This continuity, you mean, Sis," the boy placed special emphasis on the word that hyped its familiarity while stressing what was clearly a borderline insult, "For whatever reason you did what you did, it's affecting our timeline ever bit as much as yours, or else I wouldn't be stuck back in the time before my parents even conceived me. You ask me, you're the ones who need a reality check, and I'm just here to provide my commentary."

"Fascinating," Ukyo mused as she studied the features of the boy, then glanced sidelong at her version of Nabiki.

"What is?" Nabiki asked back, puzzled by her companion's sudden interest.

"Nothing," the electrician mused, "I just always wanted to say that."

"Look, um..." Kinma paused, "You got a name? Or do you want us to call you Brother?"

"Li will do," the boy replied, "Short for my real name, but that's enough about me. What I want to know is what you Nerds are gonna do about hightailing it back to your own timeline so I can get back to my world and everything else can get back to what passes for normalcy around here. Because the longer all of us are stuck here in my past, the more screwed up things will get for me when I go back to my own time, get it?"

"Got it," Kinma replied, turning to Arashi, "So, what do we do, Sis? This mission's a bust, and we seem to have made things worse on our end, not better."

"Maybe it's not too late, though," Arashi frowned before turning and saying, "Aunt Kasumi...if a singularity can only move one way at a time, wouldn't the slingshot effect reverse itself and restore us all to our proper quantum states?"

"In theory, yes," Kasumi remarked, "But only after maximum elasticity is achieved, and that being governed by the circumstances that propelled you and your sister into the past..."

"Right," Arashi waved a hand, "Only problem is...the thing which propelled us into the past was one of father's experiments, a device he has not even yet invented. Kinma and I understand the working principle behind which this device operates, of course, but to recreate it here in the past, before the concepts for the hardware components were even discovered..."

"Hey, I can see right through you!" the redheaded girl spoke up.

"That's usually my line," the Nabiki in coveralls quipped smartly.

"No, I mean like...you're going invisible or something," the redhead turned and looked at Ranma, "Is that a good or a bad thing, Big Bro?"

"Why are you asking me?" Ranma pointed to his counterpart, who was still slumped out and unconscious, "He's the guy with all the answers, right?"

"That all depends upon the questions," Kasumi mused as she stared at her own hand, "Fascinating...we appear to be shifting out of phase with our current reality...I wonder where we'll wind up next?"

"Are you sure we want to know, Oneechan?" her Nabiki asked nervously.

"Hey, don't be like that, Ham," Ukyo smirked brightly, "Don't think of it as a job, think of it as an adventure."

"I'm not so sure about it either way," the longhaired boy said with a hint of caution.

"Hey...what the...?" Ranma asked as he turned and looked at an equally confused Nabiki.

"Relax and go with the tide, Pop," the brown haired boy urged smoothly, "I've got a feeling we're being drafted for this gig..."

"So who says we want to?" Xian-Pu asked uneasily, but as it was obviously an academic question none of her companions felt compelled to provide an answer.

Saotome Ranma could only blanch as the world inverted all around him, a strangely nauseating sense of unreality being replaced with the certainty that he was about to learn first hand what it was like to live the life of an Otaku-  
based Manga star. It only then belatedly occurred to him that it was one thing to wish for some excitement to come into his life, but quite another thing to have to live with the consequences, and that you did not so much go along with the tide as frantically grasp for something solid upon which to base your orientation...which in this case turned out to be the brown haired girl named Nabiki, though whether he was clinging to her or she was clinging to him was anyone's conjecture...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Quantum Theoretical Dissertations: shadowmane

Into the breach hurl our intrepid heroes while on yet another timeline we discover a world with a very different Ranma. Be with us next time for: "Cinderfella Rhapsody," or, "Is that a LAW in your pocket or are you just glad to see me?" Be there!

X -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: ~ All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	3. Chapter 3

RanWarp03

Realities Warped!

By Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi and other artists too numerous to mention)

Chapter Three.

Project R-Ko

"Ranma-kun!" a cheerful voice called out to the accompaniment of some stones being tossed up at a second story window, "It's time to get up and go to school. You don't want us to be late again, do you?"

The one being so named remained blissfully in bed, merely rolling over and putting his pillow over his head so that he could continue to sleep the sleep of the preternaturally clueless. He was having a nice dream about a mountain of chocolate and did not want to be disturbed by anything as trivial as schoolwork. After all, he worked hard and he deserved his beauty rest...

CRASH!

"Hey, wake up, Dummy!" the voice from down below cried after hurling a very large stone through said window with uncanny aim that caused it to land squarely atop of said pillow with said head being under it, which made continue sleep somewhat problematic.

"I'm up!" Ranma called out as he sat bolt upright in bed, totally unhurt by the stone but fully awake to the fact that he really DID NOT want to make the shouter any more angry.

"That's nice," came the cheerful reply of Akane as she dusted her hands off, "Now how about getting dressed so we can avoid detention this morning? Besides which, You-Know-Who might be waiting to play with you, and that always does lead to problems..."

"Yeah, I know," Ranma said, then boosted to superspeed as he caught sight of his wall clock (his alarm clock having been unfortunately totaled sometime during the morning, though he could not for the life of him remember having smashed it in his sleep). Like a bolt of pigtailed thunder he whisked himself into the shower, scrubbed himself down at hypervelocity then used air friction to dry himself off while getting into his good clothes in the span of a few seconds. Thus readied, he grabbed up his schoolbooks and headed for the stairs, taking the whole lot in a single leap, which brought him to the lobby approximately 5.72 seconds after having officially started out his whole morning.

Next stop the kitchen, where his mother had thoughtfully laid out a full meal for him, which took him an additional full three seconds to scarf down before waving a cheerful "Hello" to his parents.

"Oh, Ranma-honey!" his mother called as he was about to speed right past her on his way to the front door, "Don't forget your lunch again! Remember what happened the last time?"

"Ooops!" Ranma paused to shudder, recalling the incident and what it lead to (a test of his invulnerable constitution when trying one of Akane's homemade concoctions), which prompted to take the bento from the place where it had been thoughtfully presented, "Thanks, Mom, I nearly forgot. Bye now!"

"That boy," Nodoka tched in a motherly tone as the wind of his passing kicked up her kimono, "I swear he'd forget his head without a reminder. Sometimes he gets almost as bad about such things as you, Dearest."

"Hmm?" Genma grunted indifferently, glancing at where boy had been standing and once more sensing this nagging sensation that there were things about his alleged "son" that Nodoka had not been telling him over the last seventeen years of their marriage, such as...who was the boy's original father? It sure did not seem likely that he was the one who had the honors, much though he would like to claim that Ranma's genetics reflected his own. If it was not for the fact that he knew Nodoka was incapable of infidelity, he'd almost be suspicious...

Nodoka turned back to her kitchenwork, smiling, thinking of the handsome Gaijin who had fallen from the sky many months before her arranged marriage to Genma. She remembered having been lonely at her father's temple, having diligently practiced Kendo and finishing up with her morning chores when the glowing green ball of light crashed down in the fields, bringing an unconscious stranger into her life, an oddly dressed man who had obviously been in some manner of fight or other and who seemed to be on the point of near-death until Nodoka managed to drag him to a bed, and then proceeded to watch the stranger heal back to full health with remarkable speed, before even her father had time enough to come home and see what his youngest daughter was up to.

Turned out the stranger had amnesia and could not remember the details of who he was and how he had come to be in their vegetable garden. Her father, Katsuhitsu, advised letting him stay on to recover a few days, and to give the stranger something to do put him to work repairing the damaged carrot fields, which the handsome man agreed was only fair, and it turned out that he had very good skills as a farmer, even seemed to relish the hard work, which Nodoka found very impressive. It also impressed her that the stranger was incredibly strong and could lift huge boulders without effort, and there were a number of other chores that he could perform in a day since he never seemed to tire and never complained about any task that he was given. He had charm and manners to spare, and this also appealed greatly to Nodoka, who had no real experience around men save for her kindly grandfather, and missed terribly her older sister, Achika, who had gone off to the city to marry a boy she met in college.

It was not long before Nodoka found a way to tempt this stranger into her bed, though he was at first reluctant and voiced concern that he might hurt her inadvertently, which turned out not to be the case as he proved surprisingly gentle and considerate for a girl who had never before experienced the ecstasy of foreplay. It was as if the stranger knew how fragile human women were and had trained himself to use just enough force to make the experience meaningful, and when he came inside her it was like exploding fireworks as it kindled something inside of Nodoka, some power that lay long dormant, to respond in kind and meet his passion with her own intense ardor.

What a shame it was not meant to be. His memories returned soon after this and he discovered, to his intense embarrassment, that he had another life somewhere and a family who would miss him. The fact that he was already married did not surprise Nodoka in the least, though it broke her heart to have to part with her Gaijin lover. It turned out that she already had an arranged marriage of her own that her grandfather reluctantly informed her about, so family duty meant parting their ways and never getting to see each other again, which was the Japanese way for long separations. Shortly after this she met Genma and was wed to him in an official ceremony...and eight months later...she had Ranma.

Although, at first, she had hoped that her son was indeed the child of her husband, it was not long before his true heritage started to show forth, at which point Genma had declared that the boy would be trained in the Anything Goes system and took him away on a series of training missions, none of which lasted more than a few months since father and son would always return home shortly afterwards with Genma needing hospitalization and a renewal of funds, and Ranma always as happy and chipper as was his inherent nature.

Surprisingly, and reluctantly, Genma warmed up to the boy in spite of nagging suspicions concerning his lineage and did everything he could to further Ranma's training in the martial arts. Of course some of his ideas about training tended towards the absurd, such as that time he tried to teach Ranma the cat-fist, only to watch in disgust as they boy chuckled happily while the cats licked fish sausage off his body, tickling him since their teeth and claws could do no injury to his toughened skin. No problem for Genma, though, he just reasoned that the boy needed to be exposed to larger cats...and that was how Ranma came home that day cheerfully riding on the back of a tiger while Genma was dragged by the collar looking bruised, clawed and battered. Afterwards, Genma had vowed to use much tougher training methods and attempted to teach the Touched Soul to Ranma...only to wind up looking like he had stuck his finger in an electrical socket, and had Genma any hair atop his head it would have been curled and smoking, Nodoka had no doubts whatsoever.

Still she was happy with her husband for the most part, and she only sometimes missed "What Could Have Been" had she been able to keep her handsome Gaijin lover. And Ranma was the type of boy any mother could be proud of, cheerful, polite and a very good student, and you could not ask for a better source of raw brute labor whenever there was anything to do around the house that needed an extra pair of hands (Genma, like most Japanese men, tended to think physical labor was beneath him, but the same most definitely did not hold true for Ranma). She had even monogrammed his shirt with a crochet "S" symbol, meant to signify the Romaji initial for "Saotome" (though she did have to admit that the pattern was inspired by the emblem on the ruined costume that she had taken from his father and kept for a memento...).

Ah well, Nodoka mused. At least her son seemed to be enjoying a normal life, and he had all sorts of friends to play with, and a nice fianc e from the Tendo clan to keep him out of trouble around the ladies.

Well...mostly...

"Ranma!" Akane called out in some alarm, "Aren't we going a little too fast? We don't want to get into any more trouble..."

"Hey, you said you wanted to be on time for once, right?" Ranma responded as he dragged his iinazuke (who was herself nearly horizontal and moving parallel to the ground as they were moving at an alarming two hundred kilometers per hour), "Well, this time we're gonna make it before the bell rings, and I don't care if we have to wade through the usual nonsense to get there."

"Do you think it will do any good?" Akane reasonably wondered, "No matter how fast we move, they're still going to be waiting for you, just like every other morning!"

"Yeah, but I can hope to avoid them for once, can't I?" Ranma called back, only to come to an abrupt halt as he saw the looming shape positioned near to the school gates, at which point he groaned, "Oh no...I don't believe it..."

Akane just went "WHOOMPH!" as she collided with his stone-like backside, but fortunately Ranma yielded a little to cushion the force so that she was not splattered like hamburger at the sudden transition of velocity. He set her down then turned to stare up and up at the gigantic form confronting him, then he softly groaned, "Why me?"

A horrifyingly melodramatic burst of laughter greeted them both as the instigator of this latest mechanized travesty presented herself to full view, followed shortly thereafter by a cheerfully demented, "You like it? I'm so glad! I stayed up all night having my people construct this mechanical beauty just for you, my dear Saotome-kun! I call it Mecha-Granger, and he should prove sufficient to the task of pounding you into submission, after which we can discuss the details of our impending honeymoon, to which, naturally, Akane-chan is also invited."

"Oh gee," Akane responded as she turned from the giant robot to glare at its mistress, "Don't I feel special..."

"Oh, but you are special to me," Kodachi gleefully said as she rubbed her hands together, "Getting you for my collection will be the pinnacle for my career, just as I did for your darling and ingenious older sister. Slave!" she snapped.

On command a meek and dutiful Nabiki appeared, slide-rule clip-board in hand as she chimed, "What is it that you wish, my demented Mistress?"

"Have the preparations been made for the...reeducation of your younger sister?" Kodachi asked.

"Everything is in readiness as you commanded of me, my Psychotic Owner," Nabiki replied, flipping a page over her board before saying, "Reeducation facility, torture room, play room, brainwashing equipment, full bondage gear in stylish leather..."

"Good," Kodachi nodded, "And what about the facilities I requested for my darling Ranma-sama?"

"All is in readiness there as well," Nabiki replied, "The special behavior remodification device came in from Luthor industries, as you requested, O' domineering one who is also my employer..."

"Nabiki!" Akane protested, "What are you doing helping her out?"

"Well hey, Sis," the middle Tendo sister shrugged, "A girl's got to earn a living, and Kodachi-sama here pays the best rates around. Sure, she's a somewhat sociopathic bisexual dominatrix who uses and abuses her employees, both sexually and psychologically, but I just take that as one of the perks of the job, and it's less stressful and sure pays a lot better than your average low-  
wage entry-level position..."

"Yes indeed," Kodachi mused, "And the only entry-level position that interests me about you is...well, that would be telling," she grinned wickedly.

"Is that why she has you inventing all these fancy devices to make me late every morning?" Ranma asked with matter-of-fact resignation.

"Oh no," Nabiki replied, "I just do this for a hobby. Kodachi-sama funds all my pet projects, isn't that nice?"

"That's enough exposition, Slave," Kodachi said as she gave Ranma and Akane a sultry smile before declaring, "So, what about it? Will you agree to submit willingly to my program...or must I get physical with the both of you?"

"Look, Kodachi," Ranma sighed, "I know you're not well, and I really think you should see some nice doctors about this condition of yours, but right now all I want to do is get to class on time, for once, and not be forced to stand out in the hallway..."

"INCOMING!" Akane yelled, having belatedly sensed an attack that was both expected and long-pending.

Ranma gave a soft groan of, "Oh no..." then resigned himself to opening up his arms as a svelte, sinewy body came lunging into his embrace, long purple fur and claws denoting the savage cuteness of a human sized cat-girl who snuggled her well-endowed and nicely paddy cleavage into his face and hugged him tightly to her bosom, emitting a happy, "NIHAO, AIREN! Shampoo very happy to see you again!"

"Gee, really?" Akane sniffed as she eyed the near-naked hirsute beauty, "We never would have guessed."

"mMMmmm," Ranma complained, "Mph mrrmmm mmm-mmm?"

"Shampoo is only greeting her Airen like proper Amazon should," the cheerful cat-cursed daughter of Bubastus (Egyptian Cat-Goddess) said delightedly, "Is Ranma no happy to see his Airen?"

"MmmmMM," Ranma tried to explain, "Mph-mmm-mMMm mmm mmmm mmMmm mmm-mm-mmm...mmmM MMmmm mmm-mmm mmmm..."

"Let him go Shampoo," Akane asked as nicely as she could manage, "Or at least let him come up for air. No use suffocating the guy just to show him you're glad to see him."

"Oh?" the cat-girl twitched her long ears, fluffy tail and whiskers, giving an inquiring look to the boy whose face was obscured by the bounty of her (entirely natural) endowments, "Is Ranma having trouble breathing? Shampoo know good family remedy for that..."

All at once she did let go and did an instant backward vault, followed by a handspring, followed by some rapid tumbles that helper her to evade the line of sharp metal spatulas that punctured the ground where she had been standing mere seconds before.

"Hands off the merchandise, Sugar!" declared a heavily armored and well-armed Ukyo as she landed in the yard and took a position between Ranma and the cat-  
girl, "That's my territory you're poaching on, and if you want to dispute me on that, come right on ahead and prepared to get stir-fried!"

"Ucchan...?" Ranma gasped as he managed to get his breath back.

The brown haired girl flashed a smile over one shoulder then said, "How many times do I have to remind you, Ranchan...don't reveal my civilian identity while I'm in costume. It's Iron Chef, remember?"

"Right, got it," Ranma said, humoring his best friend and her curious notions about leading a double life as a superheroine in her off-hours.

"How dare you two hussies spoil my perfect melodramatic moment?" Kodachi declared, "Only I get to be pompous and pontificating during this hour of the morning! If you want to impose yourself on my darling Ranma-sama, then make an appointment!"

"Oh yeah?" the Iron Chef (Ukyo) snorted back, "You and what mechanized army?"

"Funny rich girl no butt-in when Shampoo have talk with Airen," the Velvet Pussy snarled cutely, "All you got is funny toys that break when we play with them, so you no tell Shampoo what to do with Airen!"

"That's it!" Kodachi declared, "I've had it up to hear with the both of you! Mecha-Granger, stomp them into the ground!"

"You heard the boss, Boys," Nabiki called into a portable microphone, "Let's remove the competition."

The fifty meter tall heavy armed and armored robot began to move ponderously, picking up a leg then bringing it down again where Shampoo and Ukyo had been standing, but instead of them it came down on Ranma by mischance.

"Oh sh..." he started to say when he vanished behind a size-3000 armored boot.

"Ranma!" Akane cried, her voice echoed in close measure by Ukyo and the cat-girl Amazon.

"You pay for that!" Shampoo snarled, baring claws.

"You're gonna regret it, Jackass!" Ukyo cried as she raised her combat spatula and charged it with her Ki so that it started to glow brightly.

Kodachi just covered her mouth and laughed, "You silly harpies, there is no way that you could defeat my Mecha-!"

All at once Ukyo leaped high and slashed with her glowing baker's peel, sheering right through one of the arms of the giant mecha as though she were cutting through rice stalks, while Shampoo's claws wrecked similar destruction upon the other arm, and like that the robot was suddenly without the bulk of its forward weapons. Not to be daunted, however, it nonetheless deployed the rest of its weapons array as chest panels slid back to reveal a bristling array of rockets and other weaponry about to be unleashed upon the offending duo (not to mention everything else within a quarter mile radius) when all of a sudden it shook violently then broke apart down the middle, a single hurtling form rising up from the midst of the sundered metal body in the form of a pigtailed boy whose flashing fists reduced what was left of the Mecha to a pile of recycled scrapwork.

"My Mecha-Granger!" Kodachi cried in horrified dismay, "You broke it!"

"Yeah, well, it's not like it's the first time this happened, right?" Akane reasoned.

Kodachi rounded on Nabiki and said, "Slave, you assured me this Mecha would be sturdier than the last model I had you build!"

"Yes, well, we did have to economize a bit due to those cuts in your allowance, Mistress," Nabiki pointed out, "The armored plating was supposed to be a bit thicker on the bottom, and the magnetic induction bar would have held the integrity field a bit more tightly, warding off slashing attacks from both Ki and Claw..."

"I'm not interested in excuses," Kodachi frowned, "You know what this means, don't you?"

"Oh yeah," Nabiki rolled her eyes, "I must be punished for my failure to serve you in all ways, yadda, yadda..."

"It is so nice to see that you know your place," Kodachi nodded in smug satisfaction, "Report to the torture room and we'll initiate your...reeducation."

"Hey!" Ukyo cried, "Don't think we're letting it go this easy, you witch!"

"Yes," Shampoo snarled in a kawaii manner, "This time stupid rich girl really go too far when stomp on Airen!"

"Um...actually guys," Ranma said as he alighted on the ground near to where Akane was standing, "I'm not really all that hurt, really...maybe got a bit of sand in my shoes, but nothing I can't..."

"Very well," Kodachi glared at her two garishly festooned rivals as she reached for her lapel and ripped her school uniform away, revealing her own sleek powered armor underneath, "If you two hussies wish a royal beating for your trespass, then you shall have it, care of the Black Rose's Akagiyama armor!"

"Bring it on!" cried the Iron Chef.

"Up yours, silly shiny-butt woman!" the Velvet Pussy snarled.

"Why do I get the feeling that nobody around here ever listens to me?" Ranma remarked to Akane.

"Could be they only hear what they want to hear," Akane shrugged, "Come on, let them have their fun, we still need to get to our classes."

"Okay," Ranma sighed, only to pause as a virtual stampede of female students ran by chasing after a wizened old man with a sack of unspoiled underwear slung over his shoulder.

"What a haul, what a haul!" the little man was chortling when he caught sight of Kodachi and gave a wolf whistle, "Wow! Now that's the motherload! Metal lingerie, what will they think of next?"

Without a fraction of hesitation Kodachi whirled about and pointed with both arms at the fleeing little man and cried, "DIIIIEEEE!" and proceeded to unleash a salvo of mini-rockets that kicked up the ground around the little man and scattered a good many of his dismayed pursuers.

"Oh my," Ranma remarked, "Looks like the ninety day period is up and he's back in commission."

"Ranma," Akane said, "Aren't you going to do something about him?"

"Like what?" Ranma asked reasonably, "You know the only way to put the old coot out of commission is to get him to say his name backwards, and just how many ways do you think there are to get him to say IASOPPAH? That's the only way I know to send him back to his home dimension."

"Well, at least you could try to make it seem like you-LOOK OUT!" Akane cried again.

"Huh?" Ranma turned and groaned, "Not those guys again! Isn't anybody but me worried about being late for school?"

"Churl!" cried the Silver Samurai armored Kuno Tatewaki, "You do spurn mine sister yet claim to be a gentleman? This ill behavior doth call for righteous retribution, and for that mine sacred sword of Hachiman will smite thee to thine next three incarnations!"

"Ryoga think silver man talk too funny," declared a hulking yellow-hued Oni whose dark green hair and bandana were set against the massive tusks that sported from his mouth as he flashed fists the size of kettle drums in Ranma's general direction, "But Ryoga know way to make Ranma pay for making Ryoga see hell! Ryoga smash puny Ranma, then maybe Akane go on date with Ryoga?"

"Um...whatever," Akane said dubiously, wondering how to calm the Incredible Oni down so that he might revert back to sweet, clueless Ryoga.

Demented laughter shook the schoolyard as a garishly clad man dressed like a Hawaiian Chief flashed his trademark comb and scissors crying, "You won' be getting away wit' being de lone student who flaunts da Big Kahuna's dress code this time around, Kiki! You gon' lose dat' braid dis time for sure!"

"The others have their own reasons for wanting to terminate your career, Saotome," said the fourth man in their group, a dark clad figure whose duck-  
billed mask did not totally conceal his identity as anyone who knew his other guise could tell it was really the Chinese student, Mu-Tsu, who was posing as the Dark Mallard, "But my reason is simple...to steal back from you what was so shamefully taken from me, the love of my dear, sweet Xian-Pu..."

"What Mousse talking about this time?" Shampoo sniffed, "Shampoo never belong to Mousse."

"Yeah, get a grip and a buy a clue sometime, Duck-Boy," Ukyo snorted, "Can't you tell by now that she doesn't want you?"

"Mouse?" the dark clad figure asked evasively, "Who's Mousse? I'm the Dark Mallard..."

"Yes, and I'm going to be late because of you guys," Ranma said tiredly, "Can't we reschedule this for another time? I'm really tired of having to work hard just to get to my homeroom..."

"Oh, don't worry yourself about that," Mousse-er-Dark Mallard retorted, "After we get done with you, you won't ever have to worry about your classes again. REVENGERS REASSEMBLE!"

"We already are," Kuno pointed out patiently, "So let us cease these unseemly delays and get on to the battle royale."

"Brother dearest," Kodachi said in annoyance, "Don't you dare harm a hair on my poor Ranma-sama's hair, and Father-dearest, the same goes for you. Only I have the right to chastise my darling Ranma-sama."

"Says who?" Ukyo scowled.

"We still no done with own fighting," Shampoo pointed out.

"Enough talk!" snarled the Incredible Oni, "Ryoga smash!"

"Why me?" Ranma asked with a faintly pained expression.

All at once the sky overhead began to reverberate, causing all eyes to be turned heavenward in time to see a swirling mass of clouds obscure the sun and bring about instant twilight to the field of battle. An open maw began to form, to which Nabiki commented, "Oh my...I do believe that something is about to happen."

"Um...just for the record, Nabiki?" Akane ventured, "Do you really mean that you're going to let her torture you?"

"Hey, I'm being paid for it," Nabiki shrugged, "What more do you want?"

Akane was blessedly spared from having to answer that question by the sudden appearance of over a dozen plummeting bodies, some of whom landed gracefully on their feet, others having their fall broken by conveniently landing on someone soft who just happened to be standing underneath them.

"Whoof!" cried one of those fortunate few as a young man closely resembling Ranma winced at finding himself laying atop a guy dressed in silver metal armor, "What the heck was-!" the next instant a girl resembling Nabiki fell on top of him, her fall broken by a double "WHOOOF!" underneath her, though at this point Ranma was seriously considering what medical plan he should refer to when and if he recovered.

"Huh?" the Incredible Oni instinctively thrust out his hands and caught the girl who fell within his reach, then with a delighted start he cried, "Akane? You all right?"

"Uh...huh...?" Akane asked as she stared up at the horrific monster staring down at her in deep concern, and instantly she went rigid.

"Ouch!" complained a body sore Ukyo sitting on top of an armor clad version of herself, "What the heck did I land upon? It felt like a big spatula or something..."

"Where the heck are we now?" asked a Nabiki in coveralls as she picked herself up off a girl whose body was covered in purple fur, "Looks like Furinkan again...but what's with the junk heap?"

"Um...Ranma?" asked a more normal looking Ryoga as he found himself laying atop a recovering version of his best friend, who looked as though he had been punted into a wall, or something of that nature.

"Give me a moment to answer that one, huh?" groaned a lab-coated Ranma as he stared down and saw the armor clad woman underneath him, which prompted him to recover swiftly as he said, "Oh my gosh...I'm so sorry! I didn't see you under there, I..."

"What the heck?" said another version of Akane as she confronted her counterpart, "Who the heck are you?"

"Who the heck am I?" her double asked as she pointed at a third Akane, "Who the heck is she? Why do you guys look just like me?"

"Search me," Mu-Tsu said as he stared at...a Mu-Tsu wearing a duck costume, "But I got a feeling somebody with a bad sense of humor is behind this."

"What the heck are you?" Dark Mallard asked in open dismay.

"Mu-Tsu?" asked one version of Shampoo (the one who did not have a shaving problem), "But...how?"

"Like we said before, Mom," a boy with purple hair remarked, "It's a parallel of Earth, one where history runs different and continuity just went out the window."

"This is not good," the dark haired girl beside him remarked, "Three continuums, three different versions of our parents, and still no clue as to why this is affecting all the rest of us in the Sine curve."

"Gotta hand it to you, Sibs," a pigtailed boy remarked as he surveyed their surroundings, "When you screw up you don't kid around about it."

"Then would you mind letting the rest of us in on the gag?" asked a dark haired boy wearing a sleek back and silver outfit, "What the heck is going on here, and why aren't we in classes?"

"That was going to be my line," a brown haired girl asked, turning to stare in dismay at a pair struggling to get to their feet before saying, "Mom?"

"Huh?" said both versions of Ukyo as the third one in coveralls did a back-and-  
forth to try and make sense of this new element of transition.

"How come everyone here is in triplicate but us?" asked a third teenager whose long purple hair and pointed ears left no one in doubt about her parentage.

"You got me on that one, Sis," a redheaded boy turned and addressed himself to the triplicate set of Akane, "Hey, Mom...who are your friends?"

"What?" all three versions of Akane said back with equal parts of dismay and confusion.

"This is getting complicated," the Ranma in the lab coat remarked, "First a version of earth where there isn't an Empire, and now we're somehow in the middle of an outdoor costume party?"

"Hey, nice get up," one version of Ryoga said to the yellow-skinned giant.

"He almost looks like the three of us could be related," said the Ryoga still holding the small black pig agreed matter-of-factly.

"Ryoga not understand," the hulking mass of muscles said as he scratched his head with a chisel-hard finger, "Why there weaker Ryogas standing beside Ryoga? Is Ryoga losing mind?"

"No great loss to be certain," the Ranma with the monogrammed "S" on his shoulder turned to his counterparts and said, "Something tells me that you two are not here on a social visit, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that you're not from this dimension."

"Really?" the more normal-looking Ranma shrugged, "How did you guess?"

"I've been around a few times," the other Ranma replied, turning back to the lab-coated Ranma and saying, "You look like you might have a few answers..."

That Ranma shook his head, "Right now I'm still trying to figure out the questions. This all started a while ago when two kids claiming to be my future children came back from the future to warn me about one of my experiments..."

"Looks to me like you should have heeded their warning," Ranma turned to find the five teenagers standing off to one side and asked, "Yes?"

"Oh wow!" one remarked, "It really is true!"

"That's you, Dad?" one of the dark-haired boys exclaimed, "You look young enough to be our age..."

"Yeah, this is weird," said the purple haired girl beside him, "But who knew Dad looked like that when he was younger."

"Younger?' the brown haired girl beside her asked, "You mean we're in the past?"

"Well, one version of it anyway," said the purple haired boy named Kinma, turning to his sister and saying, "This is getting out of hand, Sis. Somehow we have to stop this before we go tearing through every alternate universe and wind up dragging an armada of past incarnations of our family and friends."

"I hear what you mean to say, little Brother," the black haired girl nodded, "Somehow we have to find a way of putting a stop to this process before it totally goes out of control and continuity ceases altogether."

"So what are you eggheads going to do?" asked Li, the brown haired boy with the pigtail.

"Find some equipment and do some hasty tinkering," Kinma replied, "If we can erect a Phase shield from spare parts that has sufficient power to generate a Quantum Timefield Bubble..."

"How are we going to do that?" asked a very tall and well-endowed girl with bright green hair and unusually yellowish skin whose physique looked surprisingly sturdy and yet feminine, filling out her school clothes in a most attractive manner, "I'd like to help out if I can in any way."

"That all depends," Arashi replied, "Do you know anything about Quantum Temporal Mechanics?"

"Er...well...at least the theoretical and practical applications," the tall Oni-  
looking girl replied, "But I did study Thanagarian Hyperspacial Byway generation under my Uncle Katar..."

"Close enough," Arashi replied, "Let's pool heads together with Dad and see if we can't find a way to stop these lateral shifts before the disruption in the time field becomes too great to amend..."

"Ah oh," one of the dark haired boys remarked as he glanced at a curiously glowing ring on one hand and said, "Whatever you guys are planning to do, you'd better do it quick because I'm picking up seismic waves in the Etheric field, which means we're about to have another big one hit at any moment!"

Demented laughter filled the air, and then Kodachi declared, "What base deception is all of this that you are pulling? Do you expect me to seriously credit that the lot of you are from other worlds and various future time scenarios? What do you take me for, some mindless Otaka who'd swallow anything from a Bandai studio?"

The boy with the green ring turned to the version of Ranma nearest to him and said, "Dad, have you been letting Mom sip from the happy juice again? And what's with that metal bustier she's wearing? I thought she retired that thing and used a much more fashionable model these days."

"I'm sorry," that Ranma rubbed the back of his head and said, "I've never even met the lady. Look, I don't even wear a pigtail. I'm just a regular guy trying to make sense of all this weirdness..."

"That makes two of us," said the Nabiki closest to him, "Though I have to say, that version of me standing next to Kuno Kodachi is a little weird even for my tastes, though I can't fault her instinct for basic profit..."

"Uh oh, Doc!" the Ukyo in coveralls called out, "It's happening again...I can feel it!"

"Me too," said the long-furred Shampoo, "What mean this now, Airen? We go somewhere else like in Japanese movies?"

"Your guess is as good as mine...whoever you are," Xian-Pu sniffed, wondering why her counterpart was talking like some refugee from a racial stereotype propaganda movie. As if all Chinese spoke Japanese with such atrocious accents...

"I don't know where we're going to this time, Guys," said the Ranma in a lab coat, "But I'm pretty sure that it can't be that much weirder than what we're seeing this time."

"You just had to go and say that, Ranma," one Akane complained before the fade-  
out happened, and then they did indeed wind up going somewhere else...somewhere that looked a lot like the set of a period piece Samurai movie.

"Okay," the lab-coated Ranma amended, "So maybe I spoke a little hastily..."

"What place this?" asked the hulking yellow-hued Ryoga, scratching at his head with a very confused expression, "Where funny people take Ryoga this time?"

"I know not what these varlets intend by their base deception," the armored Tatewaki remarked, "But to me this doth seem most pleasing surroundings, Nippon as it truly was in days of glory."

"I would concur with that," said the bespectacled version of Mu-Tsu, "The architecture is about right for the late Tokugawa era, pre-Meiji enlightenment when Japan became a republic and began its string of Imperial conquests..."

"Pagodas, Torii gates, slanted shingle housing?" one Ukyo said with a puzzled expression.

"Talk about your retro looks," said the Nabiki in coveralls beside her.

"Okay, this is weird," said the "normal" version of Ranma, "How did we go from Furinkan to the set of a Kurusawa movie?"

"You got me, Ranma-kun," blanched Nabiki, "In fact, I'm seriously considering the wisdom of fainting at the moment."

"Don't faint yet, Sister dear," Kasumi pointed with a finger, "I think the best part is just now making its entrance."

"Hah?" said the Ranma with the monogrammed letter on his vest, "Hey...that looks like me..."

"Sure does," remarked Akane, "But what's with that get up he's wearing? And why is he carrying so many weapons?"

"I don't really know," said the lab-coated Ranma, "But I think we ought to try and lay low to find out what he and...Dad are up to..."

"Let's follow at a distance and try to remain discreet, shall we?" Nabiki advised, only to realize in the next second just how unlikely it was that a group so large and diverse could hope to pass unnoticed among the locals, even given the fact that the companions whom she knew were hardly ever that discreet to begin with, making their prospects for avoiding trouble about as likely as her little sister winning a Bake-Off contest without first poisoning the other contenders.

In other words slim to none, but those were better odds than she would have given on a Ranma-Akane match in the first place...and the next second she wondered what exactly had put such a strange thought into her head all of a sudden. Ranma and Akane? She had only just barely met the guy and already she was matching him up with her boy-hating younger sister? What a waste of potential that would be, she mused...and then she mentally sputtered in reaction to having thought a thing like that in the first place. Yes, this day was definitely weird, and off the scale of weirdness to a land where multiple versions of the same cute guy kept cropping up out of the woodwork, and so far she had yet to fathom a way of making any money off this entire situation!

Yes, definitely odd that, but-then again-oddness was as much a part of her life as the people she was surrounded by in Nerima, and compared to any of that, this Ranma guy seemed like a breath of normalcy, though in all likelihood he would shortly turn out to be a drooling perverted idiot like most of the boys of their high school, and Kami knew she'd had more than enough of that sort in her life, though such men did tend to be easy to manipulate, like her dear old Daddy-dearest.

Besides which, what normal girl would be able to compete with the likes of some of these lookers that were surrounding her on all sides? Nabiki would insist that she was not insecure about things like that, but the plain truth of the matter was that some of these girls were...more than a little bit intimidating, and not just for the rather large endowments being sported by certain purple-  
haired (or furred) foreigners...

Nabiki scowled and eyed the boy beside her. Yes, this Ranma definitely bore a closer examination, and not just because he had a cute butt. She was definitely going to study his reactions to these other girls...for purely academic interests of course, though why she should even bother to care about a freshman classmate like him did not bear closer thinking, save only that he was obviously more than a bit naive around women, and guys like that needed someone close at hand to give them a hint now and then. Besides, he might have money on him that could find its way into her possession, and that was always incentive enough for her to overlook other objections when it came to hanging around with guys, such as whether or not they were clueless poetry-spouting morons with a samurai fetish, like that silver-clad version of Kuno over yonder, and when compared to that...well...this Ranma guy did seem almost...normal...

Little did she realize that she was being coyly observed by an alternate version of her older sister, who was smiling in approval at the way this Nabiki was taking a healthy interest in her analogy to Ranma. Such things did bear closer scrutiny, she reckoned, and maybe a sisterly nudge in the right direction would not hurt a bit. Besides, Kasumi rather fancied being the one to manipulate Nabiki for a change rather than the other way around, so on the spot she resolved to see if this one might actually fancy boys over hardware, and if so...well then, a Tendo-Saotome match was certainly not out of the question...

Meanwhile, off in the distance, a young Samurai named Saotome Ranma felt a slight shiver down his spine that-added to the other sensations that he had been feeling for a while now-made him all the more leery about following his landless Ronin of a father as they approached a foreboding castle that flew the banners of a certain prominent family of the province, all the while wondering why the old man was being so secretive and evasive when giving his reasons for their sudden detour.

"Look, Boy," his father retorted to the umpteenth petition on where they were going, "I told you that the local Baron knows me from before, when we trained under the same Sword Master. We had an agreement dating back to before the time you were born that he is honor bound to acknowledge..."

"Now hold on," the boy said in disrespectful tones towards his sire, "You say this man knew you from a long time ago...and he'd still owes you a favor? No offense, Father, but I'm all for turning around and going back to China. At least there we could find a cure for our...little problem."

"Foolish Boy," his father snapped, "Have you forgotten what else is waiting for us if we travel to the lands of the Matriarch and her Empire?"

"Oh sure," Ranma replied, "About a thousand spears and swords raised up against us, not to mention that warrior woman I defeated in honorable combat...talk about your irate losers..."

"The pity is you showing her mercy," Genma replied, "How many times have I warned you about that streak of kindness in you, Boy? Letting an enemy live is just asking for reprisals..."

"And I told you before, Father," the young man said stubbornly, "I won't kill a woman, not even in defense. It goes against the Code of Budo that Mom taught me..."

"Your mother isn't here with us, Boy, and you should count that as a very good thing," Genma said sternly, "She would have also cautioned you that a man must protect what is his at any and all costs, and never should you forget this."

"Well, if you would not continually do your thinking with your stomach, Father, we might be in far less trouble than we are throughout the Empire," Ranma shot back, "And more fool me that I felt honor bound to snatch you out of danger-  
AGAIN-when the wisest course of action would have been to leave you to face the music..."

"Do not say that, Boy!" his father shuddered, "Do you have any idea what those women would have done to me if they had been left to believe that I was indeed a possessed Were-Panda?"

"Sure," Ranma replied, "They would have said you needed to lose some weight, and they would have put you to work sweating off a few pounds. Besides which, I thought that local healer knew you and was interested in taking you in as one of her husbands."

"I knew her, Boy, from a long time before I knew your mother," Genma shuddered once again, "And I count myself fortunate that I escaped that horrible fate as she reminded me a bit too much of your own mother."

"I thought she was passing attractive, and she wielded a mean sword style at that," Ranma smiled to himself, "And considering that it was her daughter I defeated, had you married her she would have become my sister, thus kin to me and less intent on skewering what she thought was an impudent foreign woman. I see no loss for me in such an arrangement."

Genma was about to upbraid the younger man once more when they reached the gates of the castle, at which point they were greeted by a young pair of Samurai around Ranma's own apparent age, wielding pole arms that they crossed to bar their path on this side of the bridge as both cried out, "Halt now and state your business at Castle Tendo."

"My name is Saotome Genma," Genma replied, "And I have business with your Lord. Please announce me forthwith."

The two young Samurai exchanged looks, then as one they uncrossed their pole arms and stood back from the mouth of the bridge, the one on the right saying, "Excuse please, Master Saotome, but your name was given to us before and we were told to expect you."

"Pass in safety and good health," added the Samurai on the left before adding, "And tell our Lord that his faithful servants, Hiroshi and Daisuke, were first to bid you welcome."

"I will remember your names and speak of you with good favor," Genma nodded before urging his horse to move on ahead, which compelled Ranma to bow in the saddle at the two younger men before following his father across the bridge and in through the heavily armed gates of the castle, taking notice of the number of retainers standing on guard and reckoning by this that they were walking into the middle of an unusually tense situation.

"Do you think they are at war with one of their neighboring Daimyos?" Ranma asked as he and his father dismounted and surrendered their horses to stable hands, one of whom was a thin looking boy of unusual pallor who did not seem altogether healthy.

"Who knows, Son?" Genma replied, "These are tense times for the Empire, and with Vassals warring with Vassal for succession to the realm, it is an easy time for war to break out at the drop of an insult. Be mindful of what you say here lest you stir up mischief."

"Mischief has a way of finding us no matter where we stir," the younger man remarked as he settled his swords into his obi, then followed the older man as they were escorted into a moderately well provisioned castle, and from there to an audience chamber lined by rows of samurai all sitting in ready attendance.

At the far end of the hall they found a mustached man sitting in state and waving a fan like a proper noble while flanking him were three young ladies dressed in fancy kimonos and sitting in state like royal princesses, the oldest one being a wand-slender maiden with brownish hair done up in a coiffure, and seated beside her a girl with short auburn colored hair, and lastly a dark haired girl who was scowling in annoyance that she did not even bother to conceal, staring right at Ranma as though to pierce him with those flint-hard eyes, making him wonder just what he could have done to her to make her seem so offended.

He and his father knelt and presented themselves with formal bows, then sat waiting for his Lordship to regard them before speaking, as was the proper custom. After a moment of scrutiny the mustached lord said, "Saotome Genma...it has been many years, has it not?"

"Indeed, my Lord Tendo Soun," Genma responded, nodding to the boy at his side and adding, "Here is my son, Saotome Ranma, whom I present to you as per our agreement."

The sharp snap of his fan signified Lord Soun's acknowledgement as he held up a hand and was promptly served a cup of sake by a waiting retainer. Another retainer appeared and presented a tray with two cups and a container of sake for Genma and Ranma, then the lord spoke again and said, "He seems like a passing fair lad, but is he all that you boasted him to be in your letter?"

"He is at that, my Lord," Genma replied as he held his cup at the ready, not daring to drink until Soun had given his permission.

Soun held out his cup then smiled, "Then let us drink a toast to old times and get down to formal business, shall we?"

"Yes, by all mean, let's," Genma returned the toast, then both men downed their sake while Ranma-a far more cautious sort than his father-only pretended to drink his portion of liquor, being careful to taste it with his tongue to confirm the bitter taste that he suspected. Without drinking from the cup he set it down to the side and maintained his composure while eyeing his father to see if there were any ill effects to be had from whatever it was they had supposedly been drinking. He knew enough about antidotes to overcome most kinds of toxins, though something in him doubted that this Lord Soun intended them dead. It was another kind of mischief being contemplated this day, and for that Ranma intended to be ready.

"Now then," Soun began, confirming Ranma's suspicions by indicating the three young ladies seated to his side before adding, "These are my daughters, Kasumi-  
-age 19-a gifted poetess and a lady of fine breeding...Nabiki-age 17-my middle child, shrewd in politics and strategy, as fine a scholar as you could look for in a Mistress...and Akane-age 16-who follows in the traditional styles of her late mother. She is quite formidable with both sword and naginata. Choose one of them and she will become your betrothed iinazuke."

"I-iinazuke?" Ranma blurted, having been prepared for just about anything but such an arrangement.

"My lord," Genma replied, "Your generosity overwhelms me, and you must forgive my son for speaking out of turn just now as he is equally overwhelmed at the kindness of your offer. Indeed, he would be most proud to have any one of your fine daughters for his wife or Mistress, though he will need some schooling in the marital arts as he has not had much time to prepare himself for such an awesome transition."

[That's putting it mildly,] Ranma thought to himself, but wisely kept his mouth at bay, having learned the hard way what speaking out of turn would mean in the sort of situations his father kept dragging them into.

"I had thought as much," Soun said somberly, "And would that I could offer him a choice of which sister should be his bride on this most happy occasion. Unfortunately there has been a bit of a complication that we did not foresee when we made our promise in the old days."

"Complication, my Lord?" Genma blinked a bit stupidly, and his sudden lack of focus did not go missed by the boy beside him.

"The son of another noble has asked permission to wed one of my girls," Soun replied, "And thus my youngest daughter has been...propositioned by a member of the noble house of Kuno."

Ranma heard his father's sharp intake of breath, and then Genma said, "Not...not the son of...Kuno Godai?"

"The very same," Soun nodded, "However...my daughter, Akane, has not consented to obey her father's will and insists that she retain the right to marry a strong man who can match her in pitched battle. As she has bested Kuno Tatewaki thrice in battle, it then falls to the man who can defeat her in swordplay who has the right to become her rightful husband. Do you believe your son is capable of such a feat?"

"I...I do...believe..." Genma's head slumped forward and he started to snore, by which token Ranma knew that it had been a sleep brew and not poison.

"That is too bad," Soun remarked as Ranma hastily closed his eyes and pretended to slump his shoulders in somnabulence, "Because I would rather your son lose such a match so that I could engage him to one of my other daughters, but that can still be arranged, provided we take certain precautions to insure that a marriage pact is forged between us and the Kunos, which will help us to stave off an impending war between our two clans. I regret that I must resort to deception to this end, but as it is equally to your son's advantage as my own, I must reluctantly put you both out of the picture...at least for a time and place of my choosing.

At a nod from Lord Soun, vassal Samurai rose up and moved to lay hand on both young and old Saotomes, but at the last instant Ranma came to life and drew his sword, creating a blur of motion in which he used the reverse side of the blade to strike these men in a number of key places so that they fell to the floor completely stunned yet unhurt. He then sheathed his katana and rose to his feet in one fluid motion.

"My lord," Ranma said firmly, "My father has never spoken of House Tendo in terms either of honor nor disrespect, but what you have just admitted to me is shameful for any Samurai, and I would not be a party of such an ill deception. You have drugged my father and abused your rights as a host, and you attempted the same thing with me...therefore I feel obligated to take exception to your actions."

Surprised looks crossed the features of everyone in the room still conscious, including Lord Soun and the three sisters, but then the youngest of these rose up and smiled, reaching to one side as a female retainer stepped forward and handed her a naginata, all carefully coordinated as if rehearsed as she took a stance and said, "Father...you know that I objected to your plans when you revealed them before. I wanted the chance to prove that I was better than this boy you thought to foist upon me and my sisters, and now I beg the chance to prove it to you once and for certain."

"Akane..." Lord Soun said somewhat reluctantly, "Beware. The Saotome style is very deadly, even as much as our own Tendo Ryu. To match blades with the son of Saotome the Whirlwind could risk the fate of both our houses, and it could spell the ruin of House Tendo..."

"That's only if I lose, Father," Akane said confidently, "And I assure you, I do not intend to lose."

Ranma swept the dark haired girl with a glance and said, "Are you certain about this? That stance of yours does not look very promising."

Anger flashed in the girl's dark eyes as she snarled, "Why don't we see about that? Prepare yourself!" she cried as she rushed forward, naginata flashing in a deadly display of lethal prowess.

Ranma shot forward then halted fifteen meters away from where he had been standing, having crossed the room in the space of a single heartbeat, only to calmly sheath his sword again while Akane, who stood like a statue where she had intended to impale him, dropped her naginata from nerveless fingers before slumping to unconsciousness mere seconds later.

"Akane-chan!" both of her sisters cried at once.

"I did not hurt her," Ranma said as he calmly turned to regard the remaining Tendos, "She will sleep a few minutes then rise with a bit of a headache. You were right to be concerned, her technique was flawed and left many openings through which I could have struck at her had my intent been other than to show mercy."

"Mercy?" Soun's lips began to tremble, "You young fool! Now you have doomed us all! When House Kuno learns of her defeat there will be war between our clans! Young Kuno Tatewaki is fierce and headstrong and will never take word of this news lightly since, by my daughter's own declaration, you have just become her promised husband!"

"Husband?" Ranma arched an eyebrow, "I never agreed to any such thing. But if it is a war you fear, then I will stay and arbitrate a peace between yourselves and this Kuno Tatewaki. Let him marry the girl if that is his intent, but I will not bind myself to any agreement to marry someone who has just attempted to kill me..."

"Akane is young and brash," Soun replied, "But you are bound by oaths laid down by your father and me every bit as much as she is. Oh, woe betides the day when I consented to such an agreement! I would gladly have a fierce warrior like you for my future son-in-law and heir, but not at the cost of a war, and though I doubt not your skills as a fighter, could you hope to stand up to the armies of the Kunos, who outnumber us by five to one? Oh, woe is your skill that you should bring us to such ruin!"

"I am sorry if you feel this way," Ranma replied, "But I cannot consent to any agreement laid down by my father. He is an honorless man who has many times betrayed my trust, and I would have washed my hands of him were it not for the wishes of my mother, our actual Clan Lord. Still, if honor demands that your family be protected from an agreement that was doubtlessly made with the generous help of sake..."

"Father," the middle girl spoke up, "A moment here. Perhaps this young Samurai has a point. There may yet be a way of salvaging our honor."

"Eh?" Lord Soun looked up alertly at the sly daughter named as Nabiki, "You have an inspiration, my child? Then hope is not yet lost! Lord Ranma...this is Nabiki, my clever daughter. Her advice is often more prudent that that of any ten men, and if you agree to take her on as a Mistress in place of Akane..."

"That...was not quite what I had in mind, Father," said Nabiki somewhat cautiously, eyeing Ranma a bit shrewdly before saying, "As much as this young man seems to possess many...admirable qualities, and as fine a sense of wits to detect betrayal and act to counter it...I was thinking more along the lines of having him issue a formal challenge to Lord Tatewaki, urging that they face each other in ritual battle to decide which of them should inherit the title to the lands of our family. After all, whoever marries one of us and becomes your designated heir would be entitled to all our property and holdings. I might indeed consent to be Lord Ranma's wife...or Kasumi could assume that honor...or both of us, even..."

"Oh my," said the older girl with a somewhat surprised expression.

"...But, regrettably," Nabiki added, "Akane might prove to be a much tougher sell. Give her time to adjust to the idea of marrying Lord Ranma and they could well prove to be a fine match for one another. Either way, a formal challenge will spare our family's honor and dissuade the Kunos from launching an all-out war against us. It might also please the Daimyo if his son were to lose the fight but not his life and honor, and if yon Saotome-sama is as skilled as what he has just displayed, it should be possible for him to achieve this easily. Of course, that is merely my opinion, and men such as you are not obligated to listen to the musing of a mere woman."

Ranma suddenly had a sharp appreciation of just how formidable this Tendo Nabiki was as both a strategist and an advisor. Clearly she was the one who had counseled her father to drug their sake before as a means of dissuading a challenge to the claims this Kuno person had on Akane, but the facile way in which she turned around and counseled the opposite course proved that she was very adroit and not to be taken lightly. Strangely enough this made her more appealing to him since he respected cunning over raw brute strength and knew well enough from his mother's example that a woman could be just as deadly as a man when it came to affairs of court and the bedroom. Better far to have a woman like that for an ally than an enemy, he reasoned, and so he resolved not to make a mistake and cause her to become the latter rather than the former.

"My Lord," Ranma said aloud, "I would agree to be your champion in a petition against the son of the House of Kuno, and I feel confident that I can make a good showing without causing anyone to lose face, if that would indeed satisfy everyone's honor. Your daughter has good ideas, which I admire, and perhaps I may consent to having her for a Mistress, if that should be what is required to bring peace to both your lands and those of the Kunos."

He was delighted upon seeing the sharp look of surprise in the brown haired girl's eyes and forced himself not to give evidence of the smile that he was wearing. He had just effectively topped her at strategy and neutralized the pledge of a marriage pact by holding open as an option that at least one of the Tendo girls might satisfy him as a Mistress. He also intended to see to it that the girl saw the wisdom to treating him as an ally rather than to plot to secretly plant a dagger in his back since he could not afford to make too many enemies in this land while attempting to seek a cure for his unfortunate...condition.

Soun looked like a drowning man who had just found a life preserver and at once he cried, "You would do that for us? Then a thousand blessings on your name, my boy! You and your father will be our guests from now on until the time you decide which daughter you should marry. Have Lord Genma shown to his quarters and see that he is well tended to with full honors. The potion he consumed will allow him to sleep peacefully for a time, but when he awakens he will have no ill effects, so let us plan now for a feast that will signify and great and glorious new beginning for our clan! Lord Ranma, if you defeat Lord Kuno and become my heir, then you may have anything of mine that you wish, including all three of my lovely daughters..."

"Uh...that might be going a bit far, Lord Soun," Ranma replied reluctantly, "First I think we should send a message to the Kunos and..."

"MY LORD!" all at once someone cried out as a Samurai entered through the side rice door pallet, falling to his knees and offering himself prostrate until Soun acknowledged his existence, at which point he rose up and cried, "There is a battle on our lands between some of our people and a group of strangers...and one of them is named Kuno Tatewaki!"

"Oh no!" Soun whimpered, "The war's already begun! We're doomed!"

"But Lord...that is not the strangest news of all!" the vassal reported with a surprised look in his eyes as he stared up at Ranma, then hastily flinched down again to hide the disbelief he wore there, "There were others in their group, including a full fledged Oni, and I heard one of them declare his name as Saotome Ranma!"

"What?" Soun stared in dismay, then looked up in alarm at Ranma, "An imposter? Or are you...?"

"I swear on my honor that I am Saotome Ranma...the only one of whom I know, my Lord," Ranma replied, "But if there is another claiming to be me, then I will meet with him and determine his base deception..."

"My Lord...what is becoming of you?" Lady Kasumi spoke up of a sudden, "You are becoming...transparent?"

"Eh?" Nabiki glanced at her sister, then at herself, "So are we? What is the meaning of this? I feel...very strange..."

"What is this?" Soun asked as he stared wildly about, "Nabiki? Kasumi...what...?"

The words faded into meaningless echoes as Ranma looked around and found his surroundings were altered, and then with a start he said, "I have a feeling that we are not in Kansai anymore..."

"No fooling," said someone dressed up in a Ninja costume, "And do you mind telling me, Father, just what in the world is going on here? And why is Mother looking at me like that? You'd think you had never seen me before or something..."

Nabiki just stared at the girl dressed all in black, then at the other figures who surrounded them, and promptly did the logical thing, which was to faint into Kasumi's arms, her older sister considering that a very good career move and joining her a few moments after.

Ranma stared around at their surroundings, then at the number of strange people looking back at him with equal parts amazement and confusion, then sighed aloud, "I just knew it was going to be one of those incarnations..."

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Celebrity Hosting: shadowmane

And, while all of this is taking place, where are the Time Cops you might ask? Funny you should mention them since Ranko and her adopted parents make their dramatic return nest time in: "Enslaving Private Ranma," or, "Gladiator? You bet!" Be there!

X -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: ~ All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	4. Chapter 4

RanWarp04

Realities Warped!

By Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi and other artists too numerous to mention)

Chapter Four.

Frozen Time in a Bottle

Continuum #29715382 (Stasis Field Dimension)

"All right," said Nabiki Saotome, "On my mark, Ryo-chan...begin temporal unlock."

"Phase Resequencing initiated, Boss," came the relayed voice of her subordinate, "Should take a few seconds to warm up, but you'll be seeing the results in another few moments."

"Well," Ranma off-handedly remarked, "This is it, Kid. Sure you wanna go through with this?"

"I'm sure, Pop," Ranko Saotome replied as she surveyed the frozen gray tableau before them and a motionless figure captured in mid-motion, "It just doesn't seem right leaving her like this, not on account of my mistake. She deserves a chance to decide things, like I had...and besides...she's my sister."

"Not to mention my niece, after a fashion," Nabiki said as she studied the profile of a young girl roughly eleven years of age whose short dark hair was so reminiscent of another that the older woman had to choke back a moment on a certain tightness in her throat.

"My kid," Ranma said somberly, "The one I never got to know...the one I never had, but that other poor sot who was me never got to know her either. She's lived her whole life without knowing who her real parents are, or that her Mom gave birth to her while locked up in a nut house..."

"Pop," Ranko scowled, "I know you don't mean to be insensitive, and I know our Mom was a pretty hard case to put up with, but would you please shove it for a minute? She's about to come out of Virtual Stasis lock, and the last thing she needs is to get her life story dropped on her like a ton of bricks."

"Uh...yeah, sorry," gruffly apologized the older Time Cop, favoring his redheaded daughter with a wry smirk of parental affection.

"The poor thing," Ranko sighed as she studied the profile of the sister she had never before met, "Bet she doesn't even speak of lick of Japanese. Imagine being raised here in America without knowing about her real ancestry..."

"Which was probably all for the best," Nabiki observed with professional stoicism, "Back home in Japan she would have been known as a daughter of shame, her mother an insane murderess who slaughtered her own family, and me included. People in our country just don't tend to forgive and forget about such things, and the Tendo clan is too notorious back in Nerima, which is why Daddy let her be adopted by his cousin in San Francisco. Here, at least, she had the chance at a normal life, one free from the taint and scorn that she would have grown up with had she been brought up in your house, Ranko-chan."

"I know all that, Mom," Ranko replied, "But I still feel sort of guilty about what happened. It was because of me and my pendant that this reality got frozen in time when I altered my own past and created a better timeline. I only briefly got to see the Meiko who grew up there in a loving family where Mom got the therapy she needed to straighten her life out. Only this version never got the chance to know what life could have been like. In fact, everybody in this continuity's a hostage because of my decision to meddle in forces I still don't fully understand..."

"Hey, you did what you thought was the right thing at the time, Kid, and that's all any of us could ask," her father reassured her, "I know the me on this timeline woulda been proud of you if he'd lived. I only wish sometimes that I could go back and do the same thing to my past...but I tried that once already, and besides, it's against regulations."

"It's taken you this long to figure that out?" Nabiki eyed her husband with her trademark smirk in place, "Then maybe there's some hope of progress."

"Cute," Ranma rumbled, though he meant the observation in both senses of the word, and both of his female companions knew it, which was why Nabiki found herself fighting the urge to blush all of a sudden.

"Get a room you two," Ranko smirked at her adopted parents, then scowled, "Mou...what's taking so long? How long can it take to unfreeze an entire dimension?"

All at once a wave of color swept over the landscape, and everything lost is gray pallor as depth and texture set in, then frozen bodies resumed their previous motion.

"That answer your question, Kid?" Ranma asked as he saw the eleven year old Meiko begin moving forward.

"Ah...wait a minute!" Ranko called out to the younger girl, causing Meiko to pause and turn with a surprised expression.

"(Huh?)" the girl asked in English.

"Kuso," Ranko swore again then said very slowly, "(Is please excuse? Saotome Meiko-san?)"

"(Hah?)" the girl asked, even more puzzled than before.

"Let me handle this, Ranko-chan," Nabiki stepped forward, "(Are you Meiko Yamazaki? We'd like to speak with you for a moment, if you don't mind talking to strangers.)"

The young girl backed away and eyed the trio of strangers with a wary look in her eyes and said, "(Who are you...and how do you know my name?)"

Nabiki produced a badge and flipped it open to display her picture identity, then she spoke soothingly and said, "(You don't need to be afraid of us. My name is Nabiki Saotome and I'm from the Japanese Consulate. We are attempting to trace down a girl who matches your general description and we were told that she attends a local High School in this area. If your father is named Negumo Yamazaki, then you may be the person we are searching for...)"

"(Japanese Consul?)" the young girl replied, "(What has Dad done this time?)"

"(Nothing,)" Nabiki reassured her, "(This doesn't really concern him, except that we are related by blood. You see...my...last name was formerly Tendo, and that would make me second cousins with your father...)"

"(Yeah, right,)" the girl was scowling now, "(Like I'm going to believe that without some proof? What do you take me for, lady? I know how my Dad's friends usually operate...)"

Ranma rumbled in amusement and said, "Cute. She thinks we're with the Yakuza."

"Obviously there are some aspects about Cousin Negumo that I should have researched more thoroughly," Nabiki said with a slight wince before shifting back to English, "(We're not with the Japanese syndicate, Meiko-san. We are completely on the level here, and I...well...do you know anything about your real mother?)"

"(I know that she's dead," Meiko replied with a scowl, "(She died when I was little, but...)"

"(Your mother's name was Akane Tendo,)" Nabiki explained, "(And she...was my little sister...)"

"(I don't believe you!)" Meiko declared as she turned away, "(Just leave me alone and-!)"

All at once she found her way blocked by the tall, scary looking man in the leather jacket, which caused Meiko to start and stare up at him before exclaiming, "(Hey! How did you get there so fast? I never saw you move...)"

"(Yeah,)" Ranma said gruffly as he squatted down on his heels, "(I get that a lot.)"

Meiko studied the man with the astonishing blue eyes and felt a strange thrill pass through her, and for an instant she hesitated, as though seeing her own eyes stare back at her with a depth of gravity and wisdom that astonished her. Then the sensation passed and she backed away again, only this time into Ranko, who had positioned herself behind the younger girl in an attempt to limit her chances of avoidance.

"(Who are you?)" Meiko gasped, "(Think you're kind of tough guy?)"

"(Tough as they come,)" Ranma replied, "(But you don't need to look so scared, Kid. I'm not gonna hurt you, I just wanna...y'know...talk and get to know you better?)"

"(Please,)" Ranko said, wishing her English was as fluid as that of her parents as she tried to frame the word for, "(Imotochan?)"

"(Just stay away!)" Meiko cried as she pivoted on one heel and did a ninety-  
degree turn that allowed her to duck past Ranko's out-thrust arm as she left the sidewalk altogether and bolted out into the street...

...Which, unfortunately, placed her directly in the path of ongoing traffic!

Meiko halted in mid-step and crouched down as a truck bearing down on her honked its horn loudly while the driver attempted to slam home on the breaks, far too late to do any good. Her eyes got as round as saucers as she clutched her bookbag to her face as though seeking to shield herself from the impact, the certainty of impending death looming large before her eyes before her vision was blocked out entirely by a leather jacket. It was only belatedly that she realized that the strange man had just interposed himself in the path of the looming eighteen-wheeled behemoth.

Then all at once the man slammed his hands into the forward grill and did something that caused the entire vehicle to shudder. It halted abruptly on the spot while the man dug in his heels and heaved, and then the truck shuddered and glowed brightly as the violence of its inertia was weirdly dissipated, causing it to come to a complete rest a few seconds later, undamaged but the driver badly shaken.

"Whoah," Ranko exclaimed, "Pop...what did you just do?"

"Showed more restraint than usual," Nabiki complimented sagely, "You're learning."

"Hey, I was improvising," Ranma said as he removed his hands from the deep indentations that he had left in the grill plate, then shook his feet to dig his shoes out from the deep holes they had created, "Don't figure we should stick around and explain the new pothole to the local cops, huh?"

"Good call that," Nabiki said, turning to Meiko, who was huddled down in a ball staring up at the man in front of her with an almost glassy expression, "Ranko...I think you'd better pick up your sister and carry her with us. The freeze-lock on this continuum won't last more than a few minutes at best, and I think we had better take her with us. But do remember to give her the bracelet first."

"Right," Ranko said as she knelt down beside the motionless girl and took her tiny wrist between her longer well-callused fingers, clicking the metal bracelet in place and pushing the button that would activate the portable stabilization field. She then urged the unresisting girl to stand up with her and gently guided her back towards the sidewalk, even as their surroundings began to fade in color to their previous grayish hue, and then all motion ceased, leaving them the only figures who still had color and depth to their suddenly pallid surroundings.

"Looks like you called it right again, Nabiki," Ranma noted, turning to regard his unresponsive daughter, "Think we're doing the right thing removing her from all this? Kid looks like she may be going into shock..."

"At the risk of sounding a bit too clinical, she is a Saotome, she will manage," replied Nabiki, "But first we had best shift ourselves to a more stable timeline as this one has gone back into full stasis."

With that she paused and seemed to concentrate, and then color returned to the city and its denizens, who were in somewhat different position than before, the truck moving on as though it had never been stopped in its tracks by a powerhouse martial artist.

"(Meiko-chan,)" Nabiki said gently, "(Let's get you something to eat, shall we? This is going to take a few moments to explain.)"

The girl finally began to show some sign of response, her eyes flickering, then displaying full motion, and then she seemed to awake from her daze and cried, "(What...what happened? I'm gonna be late for school! That truck...who are you people?)"

"(One thing at a time, Kid,)" Ranma said gruffly, "(And don't worry about school, it's already been covered.)"

"(Covered?)" Meiko stared up at him with small, uncomprehending eyes, "(Who are you?)"

"(Name's Ranma Saotome,)" Ranma replied matter-of-factly, "(I'm a detective...and...I guess you could say we're kind of related...)"

"Dad," Ranko huffed, "Do you mind letting me do this? I mean, no offense, but you must seem like a pretty scary guy to her, not like the big teddy bear I know you are. Besides, she's my sister."

"You think you can manage it?" Ranma asked with a lifted eyebrow, "Then be my guest...and what are you smirking about, 'Biki?"

"A teddy bear," she grinned sidelong, "You. But you know...I think she called it right."

Ranma pretended to scowl as he looked away and growled, "You're just lucky you're too cute for me to slap for saying that, but keep it up and you could get a spanking."

"Oooh...promises, promises..." Nabiki clucked slyly.

"You guys," Ranko sighed, turning to study the face of her younger sister, "I know this is going to be hard for you to understand..."

"(Excuse me?)" Meiko blinked her eyes.

"Ooops," Ranko winced, "Damn...I wish my American was as good as yours, Mom..."

**INQUIRY?** a voice chimed into her mind, **INITIALIZING DOWNLOAD...**

"Huh?" Ranko blinked, glancing down at her pendant, "You mean all this time you could have...?" and then her eyes went out of focus and she stood stock still for several seconds, then blinked her eyes again and said, "(Whoah...that was easy...)"

"(Huh?)" Meiko replied, looking at the redhead with a curious expression.

"(I almost forgot the pendant could do stuff like this,)" Ranko explained, wondering if her pronunciation was a bit off as her words did not sound quite as fluid as with her mother and father, but then again, English had sounds that did not equate to the Japanese language, and so she supposed that it would still take some practice to get used to moving her tongue and vocal chords in the appropriate manner.

"(What pendant?")" the girl asked, "(Who the heck are you?)"

"(My name is Ranko...Saotome Ranko,)" she replied, then mentally corrected herself, "I mean...Ranko Saotome. Sheesh! I never can get used to the way you gaijin always put your family names last...)"

"(You can talk English?)" Meiko asked, "(But before...)"

"(So I'm a little out of practice,)" Ranko explained, "(High School for me was a whole year ago in my past, relatively speaking, and I was only passable when it came to the conversational side of things. Um, hi...how do you do,)" she bowed to the other girl in belated introduction.

"(Um...)" Meiko reluctantly bowed back, obviously having learned at least that much of her heritage, even if the rest of her was thoroughly western, "(Meiko Yamazaki.)"

"(Not anymore,)" Ranko murmured under her breath, "(Ah...look, I know this must seem pretty strange to you...heck, it was strange enough for me when I started out a year ago, before...well...that and enrolling in the TC Academy. Um...look...we're here from Japan because we're looking for you. You see...your mother was Sao...uh...Akane Saotome, right?)"

"(S-Saotome?)" Meiko blinked, "(I thought you said it was Tendo?)"

"(That was my sister's maiden name,)" Nabiki chimed in, "(But her married name was...)"

"(Tendo,)" Ranma broke in, "(Tell the story right, Nabiki. You know I changed my last name to Tendo when I married her, then I got it back...after it was all over.)"

Meiko looked from one adult to the other, then slowly moved her lips in the form of word that seemed framed more as a question than an answer.

"(Um...okay,)" Ranko rubbed the back of her head and said, "(I guess I might as well come clean on that. You see...your mom was my mom...that makes you my sister, you get it? Sister...Oneechan? That's me. Sister, Imotochan, that's you? And that big scary guy with the bad attitude? That's our father. Don't let him scare you, though, he's really a pushover.)"

"(A pushover she says,)" Ranma snorted, "(This from my own flesh and blood.)"

"Yeah, well, deal with it Old Man," Ranko flashed her father a smile, then turned to Meiko again and said, "(Don't you understand what I'm saying? We came to find you, Sis...I wanted to see what you were like. I mean...you're my sister and...and I love you.)"

"(You...love me?)" Meiko blinked.

"(Ah, yeah...well...not in a literal sense,)" Ranko rubbed the back of her head and considered her best way of expressing this, "(Not in a gay kind of way...know what I mean?)"

The younger girl just blinked as if surprised to hear that subject being raised in the first place.

"You've got to be careful what you say, Kid," Ranma cautioned, "Americans are pretty frank about a lot of things that would shock you, but you'd be amazed at the stuff that can easily upset them."

"Oh, like you're any great expert," Nabiki smirked in a superior manner.

"(But...you don't even know me,)" Meiko argued.

"(But I do know you, little flower,)" Ranko smiled, "(But you wouldn't believe me if I told you how. It's all a matter of time, like the years that flew by since Uncle Negumo took you to America to raise you. Things are gonna change now because Pop and Mom are here to look after the both of us. All you gotta do is trust us and we'll tell you a story that you'll probably find pretty incredible, but it's all true, I swear it on my honor.)"

The young girl looked dubiously up at the redhead, then turned and stared at the looming presence of the strange Japanese man in the leather jacket and asked, "(Are you really my father?)"

Ranma squatted down once again and stared at her, "(Ask yourself that question, Kid. Don't listen to me, don't listen to your Aunt Nabiki, or your big sister here...listen only to your heart, it'll tell you the answer.)"

"(But...where have you been all these years?)" Meiko demanded, "(Why haven't you come looking for me before? And why has my Dad never mentioned you?)"

"(Never mentioned me?)" Ranma evidenced surprise, "(Never mentioned Saotome Ranma? Everybody knows me back home where I grew up...I'm something of a legend in Nerima, which is a suburb on the fringes of greater Tokyo.)"

"(But this isn't Japan,)" the girl argued, "(This is San Francisco, and I don't know anything about Japan except that's where all the cool animation comes from...)"

"(That's as much as most Americans ever learn about us,)" Nabiki mused, "(But take it from me, Niece...Ranma here is notorious back in Nerima. They still tell legends about the battles he fought, and if you want to hear it from the source, then let us buy you some breakfast and we can all get better acquainted.)"

Meiko backed away and said, "(I don't really know...I don't know if you guys are telling me the truth or not. I need some proof, and I'm gonna be late for school. All my friends will miss me and...)"

Ranma sighed then said, "(Nabiki...help me out.)"

"(You actually admit you need my help?)" Nabiki asked with a wry expression but smiled and said, "(Why don't we go back to your home and you can show us where you live with your uncle, who's been raising you like a father. He'll confirm much of what we say is true, and then you can hear the rest from our side of the big ocean.)"

"Mom?" Ranko looked at her aunt-turned-mother with a raised eyebrow.

"Trust your mother, Kid," Ranma nodded, "Kami knows I've learned to do that the hard way."

"(Well...all right,)" Meiko said reluctantly, "(If Dad can confirm who you are, then maybe I'll believe that you're my father.)"

"(Then show us the way to your place,)" urged Nabiki, "(And we'll see for ourselves the truth about how you came to be raised here in America instead of with us in your native country.)"

"(All right,)" the young girl replied with a frown, "(But no funny stuff or I'm screaming for the cops, and I can scream pretty loud too.)"

"(Tough kid,)" Ranma mused, "(You drive a hard bargain, just like somebody else I know pretty well.)"

Nabiki caught his oblique glance and just frowned, intending to make her husband pay for that one later...

A few minutes later found them going down a side-alley in a tough looking neighborhood in a section of what was called Chinatown that the natives referred to as "Little Tokyo." There Ranma and company were surprised to discover what could have passed for the kind of grungy streets one might have found in sections of the real Tokyo. They also came across signs of recent trouble, at which point Nabiki raised a hand and said, "I feel something...something very evil."

"Yeah," Ranma murmured, "I get that feeling too. Like somebody up ahead is giving off really bad vibes."

"Mom?" Ranko glanced at the brown haired woman whom she knew was part Time Patrol Dispatcher and a full fledged Lore Master.

"Stay with your sister...just in case," Nabiki urged when all of a sudden they heard a loud noise coming from the far end of the alley, followed by the sound of someone starting up an automotive engine.

"(Gunshots,)" Ranma said in English as he started to move forward, "(Protect the kid, I'll see what's going down-oh, never mind!)"

Their group came to a sudden halt at the sight of a number of men in expensive looking suits, two of whom were emerging from the alleyway after having descended from a ladder, and one was removing a pair of bloodied gloves and passing them along to another.

"Yakuza," Ranma spoke the word with particular venom, then hissed under his breath, "(I just knew that I smelled trouble.)"

The figures piling into a black four-door European-made car paused to catch sight of the group of witnesses, then one of them pointed their way and shouted order. At once the other three men drew guns and began firing as Ranma lunged forward, heedless of the whizzing bullets flying right past him.

"POP!" Ranko called out as she started to follow him.

"I said stay with the kid!" her father shouted back over his shoulder before crossing the distance with a bounding leap that took the gunmen totally by surprise, the few seconds it took for them to gape in disbelief signifying their doom as the Angel of Vengeance descended upon them with the fury of a dragon unleashed.

Nabiki, who had been employing her powers to divert the bullets away from where she and her two wards were standing, carefully averted Meiko's gaze before the child got too graphic a view of what her father was about to do, but the sound of screams of pain and breaking bones was rather loud for her tastes, as was the appalling silence that descended only seconds later. Then came the sound of metal being rent from its foundations, followed by the screech of tires as the last remaining thug attempted to escape from the madman who could tear the roof off his limousine as though he were ripping through a cardboard container, and this driver aimed his speeding vehicle towards the three unfortunate civilians who blocked his only exit.

Only one of those "innocents" stepped forward and brought her hands together, summoned up her Chi then cried, "MAKO TAKABISHI!" and blasted the front end of the vehicle with force enough to cause a massive explosion.

Nabiki strained her hastily erected shields as the heat of the blast seared the air about them, and Ranko belatedly realized her error in using such a powerful blast in such a confined area, but a few seconds later the fireball went out like a candle, leaving little more than twisted metal in its wake and no sign at all of the driver. The only thing truly noticeable at the far end of the alley was the sight of a blazing ball of concentrated energy that seemingly hovered in mid-air, only a few seconds later it was revealed that someone was holding that beach-ball sized globe between his hands as Ranma sought to contain the blast, then stared past the energy sphere to its pigtailed creator.

"Uh...ooops...sorry about that, Pop," Ranko lamely apologized, "I didn't mean to..."

"We'll talk about it later," Ranma warned, then exerted himself as he proceeded to compress the ball, making it smaller and smaller until he managed to squeeze it between the palms of his hands, whereupon it vanished altogether.

Total silence followed this, during which Nabiki visibly relaxed herself then said, "Whatever am I going to do with you two hotheads? Do you call that subtle?"

"Hey, they started it," Ranma made a sweeping gesture to include the fallen gunmen, "What was I supposed to do? When someone shoots at my kids, it kinda makes me irritated."

"I'm sorry, Mom," Ranko said contritely, "I didn't think before I acted."

"Considering who your genes passed down from, I should hardly find that at all surprising," Nabiki said before glancing down at the child hugging her side and saying, "(I'm sorry you had to see that, Niece. Those were very bad men, and your father...well...he doesn't like bad men very much, and neither do I, for that matter. As for your sister...)"

"(How...how did she do that?)" Meiko asked in numb amazement.

"(Um...special effects?)" Ranko said lamely, waving her hands and fingers to show their innocence.

Meiko just stared in amazement then moved away from Nabiki's side and said, "(Are you...ah...that is...)"

"(Yes?)" Ranko asked nervously.

Very slowly the child smiled, "(Are you some kind of a mutant, like the X-Men? Because if you are, then I think that's super-neat!)"

Being only Japanese by birth and not culture, Meiko Saotome could be excused for not knowing the meaning of a facefault.

"Ah...how old did you say she was again?" Ranma asked as he glanced at Nabiki.

"I'm starting to wonder about that myself," Nabiki replied, eyeing the girl who looked disturbingly a lot like her long dead younger sister, only noticeably less clueless.

"(Ah...a mutant?)" Ranko asked with some reluctance.

"(Sure!)" Meiko said cheerfully, "(You hear all about them on the news. Dad says they're fake, but I just know that they're for real, and I've even seen Timmy manifest his power to project drawings on walls back at school. He even has this really cool nickname as The Tagger...)"

"What sort of school system do they have here in America?" Ranma wondered, "And what have they been teaching my kid?"

"Oh, like schoolyard brawls and obscenely powerful martial artists would seem normal by contrast," Nabiki argued, "(It is all relative, I suppose, and in a way I guess you could say we are all somewhat like mutants, given that the three of us are hardly the norm of Japanese society.)"

"(Neat!)" Meiko said brightly, "(Do you all have superhero names and do you wear a costume?)"

"I give up," Ranko rolled her eyes, "This sister stuff is tougher than I bargained for."

"Try having two sisters growing up, one the class bully, the other a domestic goddess, then get back to me about it," Nabiki mused wryly, "Still, getting back to the deceased Yakuza, I wonder what their business was in this alley, and who did they shoot at before our arrival?"

"Something tells me you already know the answer to that one," Ranma sniffed before snagging the fire ladder escape and hauling himself up to the next level of the metal scaffolding that ran up the length of the rear of a four story building. Mid way to the second level Ranma paused and said, "(Hey, kid...you live on the third floor?)"

"(That's my place!)" Meiko pointed to the open window, "(Why?)"

"(Ah...no reason,)" Ranma turned and looked back down, "(Looks like uncle Negumo ain't around here any more. In fact, I think we'd better go find some place to lay low until the heat comes down. I can hear sirens off in the distance.)"

"(Pop?)" Ranko blinked, knowing that her father had a terrible poker face and had trouble disguising when he was even mildly upset about something.

"(Meiko-chan,)" Nabiki said softly, "(What kind of business did your father have with the Yakuza?)"

"(He said he owed some money...why?)" Meiko blinked, then a note of genuine fear entered her voice and she said, "(He's not...no! It can't be!)"

"Hey!" Ranko called out as the younger girl darted past her and headed for the building, only to disappear behind some boxes, and after following her for a little way she discovered a door that had been chained shut but was broken near the bottom with room enough for a small body to crawl through.

"Slippery thing, isn't she?" Nabiki sniffed, "It's a sure bet she doesn't use the fire escape that much, so my guess is she has her own way in and out of her place."

"Pop!" Ranko called out, "She's headed up to where you are!"

"Terrific," Ranma grunted before ducking his head and gingerly making his way into the window opening like a looming shadow.

A full minute later he appeared again holding Meiko in his arms and clutching her tightly. The girl held him in tiny arms as he descended to the street again one landing at a time rather than vault the entire distance. Once he rejoined his wife and daughter he said gruffly, "Let's go. The cops'll be here in a few more seconds."

"I take it Cousin Negumo will not be joining us," Nabiki stated as a matter of record rather than as a question.

"Y'know, sometimes it's cute when you play innocent, Nabiki, but this ain't one of those times," Ranma said darkly, "You knew full well what we'd find when we got here, but you wanted her to see that, so don't play dumb with me, 'cause I ain't buying."

Nabiki lowered her head and said, "I'm sorry...I should know better than to try and put a thing like this past you without clearing it through you in advance..."

"Yeah, you should," Ranma stated flatly, "You really think I wanted my kid to see something like that?"

"No," Nabiki replied in total candor, "But I thought it would be best if she were to lose her only reason for remaining on this timeline. This is a close parallel of the world that she knows as home, to which we both know that she can never return, only here cousin Negumo lives alone and doesn't have any children, adopted or otherwise. He does...or did have a gambling problem, and he was fated to meet his end at the hands of the Yakuza, as her adopted father might have done as well if events continued unabated."

"I ain't saying I disagree with you on this, 'Biki," Ranma replied, "But in the future try asking me if I think there's a better way of telling her that Uncle Negumo ain't gonna be around to look after her no more. The guy had just enough breath in him to recognize me and confirm who I was, but I wasn't in time to save him. That's real convenient timing..."

"You think so?" Nabiki sighed, "Cousin Negumo would probably offer you an argument about that."

"So he's dead on two time frames," Ranko said as she eyed her sister, "So what happens to Meiko-chan now?"

"Ain't no question what happens next, Kid," Ranma said with a scowl, "We're taking her home, and to hell with regulations. She's my kid..."

"And that makes her my daughter," Nabiki noted with a slight smile, "Or one of them anyway. Counting Ranko this makes four of them in all..."

"Lucky me," Ranma half-smiled, "I beat the national average and your father by one kid. Must be doing something right, though I'll be hung if I know what it is."

"Oh, you're hung all right," Nabiki said, "Well hung indeed. But what say we get back to Central so that we can explain things to the proper authorities, then see to arranging a new life for our newfound daughter."

"Right," Ranko agreed as she glanced nervously to where some flashing lights were appearing at the far end of the alley, only to fade out with the rest of their surroundings as they crossed the boundaries of time and space in the span of a few heartbeats.

To all appearances the place where they arrived looked exactly like the back yard of the Tendo dojo, only Ranko knew that it was a recreated illusion, the product of Temporal technologies that could fashion living environments to the specifications of a resident, right down to the sky overhead, which was actually a dome that partitioned their enclosure. The living area was an assigned pocket bubble created by the Temporal Interface system of Time Patrol Central, which had been like a home to her over the space of the past year during her Academy training. It also made her somewhat more relaxed living here since it was a more cheerful place than the Tendo dojo she had actually grown up in, a place of love and happier memories that even felt like Nerima, Japan on a psychic and emotional level.

"So," Ranko said as her father carried her sister into the house, "Whose room do we assign her, or does she get to bunk with me?"

"I've already taken the trouble of studying the layout of her room in the diagrams of Central's database," Nabiki revealed, "And so I programmed the controls to recreate it perfectly down to the odd trinkets and posters that make a room a living space for a young pre-adolescent. As it so happens, it equates to the room Akane used to have in our old home..."

"Good enough," Ranma said, "That'll do for now. Hopefully waking up in familiar surroundings will make the adjustment process a lot easier than otherwise. Kid's been traumatized enough for one day."

With an ease and gentleness that would surprise anyone who knew him, the leather jacketed man carried the young girl into her new designated room and set her down on the bed, then stood staring down at her for several long moments before saying, "Gods...she looks just like her mother."

"I know exactly what you mean, Ranma," Nabiki said as she came to stand beside him, no longer bothering to hide the tears forming in her eyes, "Seeing her like this brings back so many memories. I just wish..."

"Yeah," Ranma said, "I know exactly what you mean. Kid's had a hard life, she deserves a few breaks, but let's not tell her right away the full story about what happened to her mother. Give her time to settle in, then we can get the full story from her end..."

All at once a pulsing sound startled both Time Patrol Agents, causing Ranko to wince as she saw Meiko flutter an eyebrow, no longer quite as unconscious as before. In some annoyance Ranma said, "Thought you were gonna turn that off after we found her."

"I did," Nabiki said as she touched her bracelet and said, "Ryo-chan?"

"Boss!" her subordinate called out, "You've gotta come quick! Central's going crazy! We've got flash anomalies appearing all over the board and we need you here on the double!"

"Has something happened to the stabilization field?" Nabiki asked.

"Nope, got nothing to do with our little project," Ryonami said firmly, "This is different, and it's bad! Temporal crossover transfers are taking place in a dozen different locations, and three guesses where this anomaly is centered."

"What, again?" Ranma started in dismay.

"You got it, Big Guy," Ryonami affirmed, "You must be real popular with the Gods this week, unless this isn't their handiwork but somebody else's. Either way, you're being called out by the Big Cheese himself, and he wants you here yesterday, so your leave's officially been canceled."

"Wonderful," Ranma growled, "The fates must really hate my guts..."

"More like some element revolving around your prolific nature is afoot," Nabiki mused dryly, "If only I knew what a stud you were in the old days, I could have saved us all a great deal of trouble."

"Hey, it ain't like it's my fault," Ranma protested, "It's the other guys who look like me who've been doing all that begetting stuff. Just 'cause I got four kids now don't mean I'm planning on branching out."

"Just the same," Nabiki said, "I'm checking with the nurse to make sure that MY little angels are well cared for. I just hope that one or both of them take after my side of the family since we have more than enough scrappers in this house to last a lifetime."

"Hey, I resemble that, Mom," Ranko protested, "So, we gonna go out and save reality again, Pop?"

"Not this time, Squirt," Ranma shot back, "You stay here and keep an eye on your sister. Meiko-chan's gonna need somebody on hand to explain things, and no tripping about with that pendant thing of yours or you're grounded, you got me?"

"Hey!" Ranko protested as she touched her pendant, "What if it decides to take off with me on its own? You know it's got its own mind about these things, and that it really serves Yggdrasil."

"Then I will have to have a few words with the Gods who maintain systems for the World Tree," Nabiki replied, "And tell them to construct a quarantine around that pendant if it even starts to glow funny. Either way, you are staying with Meiko. Do you understand us, young lady?"

"Yeah, I understand," Ranko sighed, "Blood before Duty and all that..."

"Keep in mind you're still only a Cadet," Ranma cautioned, "And it wouldn't look too good on your record if you keep jumping into things with both feet before us old timers have time to do our thing and look heroic. I mean, who do you think you are, kid...me?"

"Yeah, like that's the worst thing that could happen?" Ranko sniffed, "C'mon, Pop, you know you're gonna need me sometime. I'm the one who knows how to surf the timefield and draw recruits who can help us kick the asses of the bad guys."

"Assuming that there are any bad guys this time around," Nabiki cautioned, "You can play with your friends Watazashi and Silver another time, but this is a job for the full time professionals. You'll have more than enough opportunities to save reality as we know it, but Meiko-chan's needs come first right here and now."

"Got it," Ranko saluted, "I'll stick close to her and try to keep her out of trouble, I promise."

"Good," Ranma said as he headed for the door, "You head on to central, Nabiki, I'll go check on the kids to see that their diapers are changed and their milk bottle's handy."

"Good," Nabiki nodded back, "And give our thanks to Akari for looking after my babies. She really is a dear offering to take care of them for a few hours."

"She knows the score," Ranma said as he made his exit, then Nabiki followed suit after grabbing up her portable pouch-pack and vanishing into thin air like magic, leaving behind a somewhat annoyed Ranko, who sat down on the bed next to her sister and groused, "So, why do I get to play baby sitter?"

"(Are you calling me a baby?)" Meiko asked.

"(Huh?)" Ranko looked down at the younger girl, "(You understood that?)"

"(I got some Japanese words I know thanks to Dad...ah...)" she trembled again as memories returned to her with frightening clarity, then all at once she started to cry and wail out loud, "(Daddy...!)"

"(Hey, don't cry!)" Ranko leaned forward and touched the other girl on the cheek, "(I know it's tough, but you'll get through this. I'm real sorry about the timing, I know it sucks like hell, but...your dad...my cousin...)"

"(Who are you really?)" the girl asked, "(Are you really my sister?)"

"(What do you want, a blood test?)" Ranko responded, "(I'm at least six years older than you, but I know all there is to know about our parents. Mom and Pop...ah...Aunt Nabiki's my Mom now 'cause she married Pop...it's kind of a long story...)"

"(Like a bedtime story?)" the other girl asked, then paused before adding, "(Can you...read it to me? I mean...pretend like it's a book and start at the beginning?)"

"(The beginning?)" Ranko asked dubiously, "(Whooooo...that...would take quite a bit to tell it all, or as much as I know about it...)"

"(Well...I'm not going anywhere at the moment,)" Meiko replied, her eyes showing tears once again though she managed to control it this time, "(I'd really like to hear you tell it to me like a story.)"

"(A story,)" Ranko thought about it then shrugged, "(Sure...why not? I guess that makes sense. Um...well...mind you, it's gonna sound awfully weird, and it would help a lot if you knew what it's like to be Japanese...)"

"(I'd like to hear more about that too,)" Meiko admitted, "(Like...why is...dad so grim all the time? And does he have superpowers, like when he charged those guys and beat them all up with his bare hands?)"

"(Oh, Pop?)" Ranko chuckled nervously, "(He takes some getting used to, but he used to be just like us, a normal guy...uh...well, normal for a martial artist, that is.)"

"(You mean like Bruce Lee?)" the child asked.

"(Oh yeah,)" Ranko nodded, "(Only he's a lot tougher than Bruce Lee was in his heyday...)"

"(You mean like he could kick Bruce Lee's ass?)" Meiko wondered.

"(Oh yeah,)" Ranko affirmed, "(He could kick Bruce in the ass...)"

"(And Jet Li too?)"

"(And Jet Li too.)"

"(And Spike Lee?)"

"(Uh...that depends, is he good at martial arts?)"

"(What about Jackie Chan?)" Meiko asked, "(Is he tougher than him?)"

"(Hey,)" Ranko replied, "(Nobody's tougher than Jackie.)"

"(Oh,)" Meiko considered that some more and then said, "(So what kind of martial arts does Dad do anyway?)"

"Musubetsu Kakuto Ryu," Ranko said proudly, "(Which means Anything Goes Style Martial Arts.)"

"(Anything Goes?)" Meiko asked with round eyes.

"(It's a variation of Kempo, and it was taught to me by Grand Master Happosai himself, the founding of the Anything Goes system,)" Ranko explained, "(You see...it began long ago in a prefecture far, far away...)"

"(Hey, how old do you think I am?)" Meiko protested.

"Uh...I'm starting to wonder that myself," Ranko rumbled before remembering to switch back to English, "(Anyway...there was this kindly old man and his two best students, and both of them were our grandfathers, Saotome Genma and Tendo Soun, who trained for twenty years under our great-grandfather before one day graduating with honors and going on to found the Tendo and Saotome Ryu...)"

"(Hey, is this a true story?)" Meiko asked.

"(It is,)" Ranko assured her, "(Now hush up and let me tell you. You see...grandfather Saotome had a son, our father, and grandfather Tendo has three daughters, the oldest named Kasumi, the middle daughter named Nabiki, and the youngest was our mother, Akane...)"

"(Oh,)" Meiko brightened, "(Aunt Nabiki was the pretty one that we now get to call Mommy, right?)"

"(Uh...yeah,)" Ranko turned a look over her shoulder to the door and murmured, "Pop, Mom...help!"

"(So why is Dad married to Aunt Nabiki now anyway?)" Meiko asked, hugging the covers up to her elfin chin, "(Didn't he love our mommy?)"

"(Oh, he loved her all right,)" Ranko sighed, "(Maybe a little too much, which is kind of the problem, but that's getting way, way, way ahead of our story. You see...it really all started when a boy named Saotome Ranma came to Nerima and met a girl named Tendo Akane...)"

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Day Care Nursing Homes: shadowmane

Will Ranko survive the awesome ordeal of playing baby sitter to her younger sister without going totally bonkers? With Ranma and Nabiki be able to stop the looming crisis on multiple worlds before there are enough Ranmas in this story to fill a good size convention hall? And will the author of this debacle have time enough to finish it before the new College Semester draws him away from the time he needs for regular fanfic writing? Find out the answers to this and more in: "Adventures in Baby Sitting II," or, "Tripping Through the Twilight Fantastic!" Be there!

X -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: ~ All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	5. Chapter 5

RanWarp05

Realities Warped!

By Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi and other artists too numerous to mention)

Chapter Five.

Gladiator!

Continuum #00274138

Ranma Eponius Gaius Tiberius Saotome awoke with a massive headache, his last vague memories being of some manner of altercation, though at the time quite a substantial quantity of beverage had been consumed, which no doubt contributed to the swelling of his head size.

But somehow the feeling was different from your usual hangover, and as he tried to fathom this out, raising a hand to attempt to massage his throbbing temples, he became conscious of the impediment to his movements caused by heavy chains attached to manacles around his wrists and ankles. As he attempted to open his eyes and make sense of this peculiarity he heard the sound of a dozen automatic weapons being cocked and readied. That was all he needed to hear before his blurred vision cleared and confirmed that he was a prisoner being held at gunpoint by a half dozen heavily armored men bearing the logo of House Kuno. That alone made everything at once comprehensible, which in turn caused him to relax somewhat as he was cognizant of the price that would be paid for hasty movements.

Very cautiously he spoke in his best Latin, "{You guys all here for me? I'm flattered. I take it the Governor has invited me to one of his special parties?}"

There was no reaction, other than that the guards tightened their fingers on the triggers and took more careful aim for vital organs. Obviously they knew better than to waver by even a fraction in their attention while keeping him fully in their sights, which he found commendable since it was the only sensible way of insuring that they would continue to remain healthy around him. Ranma chose to ignore their edgy trigger fingers and slowly sat up on his cot, surveying the dank confines of a cell and recognizing the place from the numerous scratches in the walls that passed for graffiti in a place like this, the product of many a former occupant passing the time away by using whatever was sharp enough on hand to leave a mark, sometimes even employing the bones of former cell-mates.

"{Tough crowd,}" Ranma sniffed, "{That's the problem with guards...no sense of humor, but somebody obviously has one to stick me in my old pen for safe keeping. Must be Kuno's way of telling me how much he loves me.}"

Still no reaction, not that Ranma had anticipated any. These men were professionals and had obviously been trained well to do their jobs in spite of any and all distractions. Ranma decided not to waste any more time with banter and sought to make sense of what he was doing back in this place as a guest of House Kuno when the last thing he remembered was attending a feast at House Tendo with his followers and allies gathered all around him celebrating his marriage alliance with the lady Agripina of House Tendo. Someone must had drugged the wine and staged a surprise ambush, which meant that he and an unknown number of others had been captured by the Romans, but who could have betrayed their location and alerted the governor to the rebel presence within his own province?

Immediately his mind turned to the middle daughter of House Tendo, the lady Messelina. She was known to be capable of much treachery and deceit, but he found it difficult to believe that even she would betray her own family and sister, no matter how much the Romans paid her. Besides which, her only real motive could have been jealousy since Gaius was marrying her sister and not herself, but wounded pride alone could not encompass such a betrayal, therefore he concluded that it had to have been another, one who had as much to gain from the downfall of the infamous Black Dragon and his band of staunch rebels, someone like...

"{Well now,}" a condescending voice addressed him, giving full confirmation to his suspicions, "{If this isn't precious. Imagine, Eponius, the legendary Black Dragon laid low by wine and women. Such a pity Agripina has to be made a widow at eighteen, but that just frees her up to marry a better man than you, and with the end of your pathetic band of rebels...}"

"{Taro!}" Gaius snarled the word and lurched to his feet, heedless of how close he came in doing so to being struck at point blank range by automatic weapons fire and shot-gun blasts as the guards tensed up and readied for action, "{I knew it had to be you!}"

"{Oh really?}" said the man in the polished metal-and-leather breastplate leaning against the open door to the cell and wearing his usual cocksure expression of smug superiority as he regarded his former ally, "{That was always your problem, Eponius, you much too trusting to be the leader of your pathetic merry band of rebel bandits. It shames me to think I ever called you a friend, but now I have much better friends who pay very well, and thanks to Lord Kuno I have both position and a title now.}" He smiled. "{Provincial First Citizen Taro. It has a nice sound, doesn't it?}"

"{You scum,}" Gaius breathed in deadly earnestness, "{I should have killed you when I had the chance...}"

"{And that's the other weakness you have, mercy,}" Taro sniffed, "{Just think, if you had killed me during our fight, instead of banishing me from your inner circle, then I'd never have had the chance to tip the governor off about how you and Lord Tendo were planning to betray him and kick the Romans out of the province. As if you had any chance of restoring your worthless Shogun to power. Well, now I have real power, and I'm going to enjoy every bit of it as I squeeze this province for Taxes. My only regret is that Lord Kuno seeks to see you dead in the arena when I'd much rather do the job myself...}"

"{Then why not face me man-to-man, as in the old days?}" Gaius asked, "{Or have you lost your pride as a Gladiator along with whatever pretense you ever had to being a man of honor?}"

"{Honor won't get you far in this world, Eponius,}" Taro scowled, "{I told you that once, and you should have listened. Now you and all your friends are going to die while I live on to tame that firebrand you wanted for yourself to my lashes. Agripina will watch you beg for your life as they crucify your ass, or maybe you'll just get fed to the lions. Hard to say with the fickle mood swings of these Kunos, but however you die, I'm sure you'll be very entertaining.}"

Gaius restrained the impulse to tear off his shackles and lay waste to the guards so that he would have no impediment to wrecking his vengeance upon this scoundrel, but a saner part of his mind cautioned him to restraint, knowing that this was not the time to reveal the true extent of his prowess, not when he had a chance at the Governor himself and could well achieve the goal that he and his followers had labored for in one fell stroke rather than the lengthy campaign that he had been plotting for the previous evening.

Instead he grit his teeth and said, "{No doubt your demise will be even more entertaining for someone, or have you forgotten how steeped in treachery is House Kuno?}"

"{I'll take my chances, just as long as they continue to appreciate talent,}" Taro smiled again, only to wince as a melodious laughter filled the air and chilled the blood, making even the guards shudder in dread as they knew what this laugh signified even moments before its author put in her dramatic appearance.

"{Truly I do love to hear the verbal sparring of men,}" said the lady Kodachi Octavia Nocturna Kuno, "{It makes them sound like little boys trying to impress one another with their own self-importance. Indeed, you should be mindful of your place within our service, Taro Caligulus, for it ill behooves a foreigner of low breeding to upbraid one of the nobles, even from a fallen house like the Saotome. Such verbal barbs might well rebound back upon you in ways you do not as yet suspect.}"

"{I'll take my chances, Lady Nocturna,}" Taro replied stiffly as the sultry girl played a finger against his face, tracing both cheek and jawbone before flicking his chin in a haughty manner.

"{Be mindful that you only took Lord Eponius by means of treachery and the use of one of my potions,}" Nocturna warned him, "{Once their effect fully wears off, however, I have no doubt that he will be restored to godlike prowess, at which point you would do well to beware the sting of the Black Dragon. Now off with you, I would have words with Eponius that do not concern you.}"

"{Sure that's wise?}" Taro arched an eyebrow, "{You just confessed to him who's responsible for his being here, and he's not above taking a fragile flower like you for a hostage.}"

"{I fear nothing from his hands,}" Nocturna said confidently as she pushed her way past the guards and approached Gaius to within arms reach, all the while locking gazes with him, her purple eyes proud and haughty, "{If he wishes to avenge himself upon me, then he knows who else will pay the price as his beloved Messelina is my servant and her fate is in my hands to deal with as I see fitting. Agripina and her other sister, Cassandra, will also pay the price if I do not emerge from this cell unharmed. These are my terms, and I trust to them far more than I do any weight of weaponry held at my back.}"

Ranma regarded the noblewoman coldly but made no move to attack her as she moved forward and leaned up against his cheek, then-standing on tip-toes-she whispered in fluent Japanese, "Fear not, my beloved, for not all is as lost as you imagine. By the true love I bear for you, I swear that no harm will come to those who live under my protection, but play along for a while longer until the time is right to deal with these miscreants. Have I your pledge that you will trust me?"

"You know that I would sooner trust a spitting cobra," Gaius murmured back, "But I know your venom is only intended for those who threaten you, lady, and on that account I will trust you."

"That is all, then, that I could ask of the Gods," she murmured back, "Save that one day I have the chance to prove to you that I am as worthy of your love as Agripina or Messelina. Alas, your barbarian lover's life is forfeit...I can do little to prevent that. My father's madness infects the whole of the province, and when madness wears the crown of the Caesars, there is no one safe from Roman retribution."

"{What are you two mumbling about over there?}" Taro asked suspiciously.

"{Why, nothing,}" Nocturna smiled as she moved away from Gaius, once again playing the part of the aloofly spoiled noblewoman, "(I merely tease Eponius with a poem sung in our native language, pay it no mind. A barbarian such as you would never understand such subtleties of breeding.}"

Taro scowled at the lady Kuno but said nothing, yet Gaius could read in his expression that the man was considering what pleasure he might obtain in breaking Nocturna to his lashes. Gaius tensed in spite of himself as his desire to choke the life out of his betrayer became nearly overwhelming. It was all that he could do to hold in check the fury he felt building up from inside him, threatening to burst forth from the shackles of his will, the force of the Black Dragon yearning to take over and dispense dark vengeance upon these puny mortals.

Instead he merely glared at Taro, not trusting himself to voice aloud the doom that would soon descend upon both Caligulus and nearly all of House Kuno.

"{Showtime, people!}" a handler announced as he came down the aisle flashing the standard of his office, "Lord Kuno urges that the prisoner be brought to the arena for his televised death, and we're assured to get good ratings for this on both Satellite and pay channels. Why, the cable revenues alone...}"

"{So glad to see you'll be making a profit at our expense, Godai-kun,}" Gaius mused in his most sarcastic, darkly amused at the way in which the older man colored at being addressed with his Japanese name instead of his prouder Roman title.

"{That's Maximilion, as you well know, young pup,}" the Circus Master glared contemptuously at his former charge, "{A pity, and you used to be my best student at the College of Gladiators. Now you're nothing but a scum-sucking rebel, and you'll die ignominiously, an object of jeering contempt rather than the proud warrior dedicated to Mars that I raised you to be, and all in a foolish attempt to raise up some base pretender to be the new Shogun...}"

"{Japan will be free of Roman tyranny one day,}" Gaius declared flatly, "{And that freedom will be built over the rotting corpses of collaborators and traitors such as you, and may the gods be willing, you will live just long enough to see it take root.}"

The Circus Master threw up his hands and cried, "Jove is my witness, what is a man to do with so much foolishness in the world? You were seduced and blinded by that false promise of a deliverer. The truth is that Rome rules the entire world. There is no square milong of soil that has not known the tread of Roman boots, young Eponius. You were deceived by your own pride to believe that you could lead the people out from under the protective umbrella of the Empire that has lasted nearly three thousand years, and will continue to exist long after we are all dead and buried.}"

"{We will see about this, old Teacher,}" Gaius replied as he was marched out of the slave pens and down a long corridor towards the arena itself, all the while hearing the growing cheers of a crowd gone wild with the games already in progress.

As he made the long trek, Gaius was struck at the irony of his referring to Maximilion Godai as his teacher in the arts of survival. All that fool ever did was show Gaius how to hold a roman shortsword and fight using Greek Pankration, but his real education came during the long years on the open road when he had studied with his father under a number of masters of various combat systems, one of the most important of whom he had met during a brief stay in the Imperial dungeons where he made the acquaintance of the great Hiko Saijiro, an Immortal sword master, who had taught him the use of the Katana and various forgotten secrets of ancient Japanese lore. It was to Hiko whom Gaius owed his appreciation for his Japanese heritage, even though most Japanese of this day and age tended to be bought off into the Roman system, even the disenfranchised poor, who depended on the vast Welfare State for food and other necessities, all of which were controlled by the Romans through their various satellite corporations and proxies.

For several hundred years the nation formerly known as Nippon (or Japan, as was the more common pronunciation) had existed under the yoke of Roman occupation, ever since the last of the Shoguns fell at the battle of Sanjiro after a fierce campaign that had taken Rome many years to accomplish. Many Daimyos, in the end, had been bought off through Roman bribes and became client servants of the Roman juggernaut, and though the Samurai Lords of the east had fought hard and valiantly to retain their independence, in the end Japanese combat styles had proven too fractured and individualistic to withstand the trained professionalism of Roman foot-soldier, archer and cannon. When riflemen were introduced to the battlefield it was as good as over within a single decade, and ever since then Rome had treated Nippon as the jewel of its Oriental crown, the gateway to oriental riches which they then plundered with abandon.

It was not that Rome only took from Japan and gave nothing back, however, for with Roman armies came Roman ideas, Roman technology and Roman innovations. Social customs were modified and adapted to suit the tastes of the Latins and Japan soon grew comfortable and prosperous under Roman administration. The Pax Romana had brought and end to the feuding rivalries of the various noble houses, and this the people welcomed with enthusiasm, even as they embraced the manners of their conquerors and gradually taught the Romans to be civilized in the Japanese manner. Before long a healthy fusion had taken shape, and Japan indeed became a mighty client Kingdom with even the Emperor himself taking his marching orders from the leadership of the Caesars.

But then the dark times came over the world...a new Augustus had taken the throne of Rome and was administering harsher laws that even the normally turbulent Senate found difficult to oppose. Taxes were increased throughout the provinces, and this increased the misery felt by those already living at the bottom of the margins of society. Since only the upper 5% of the social strata had anything approaching an opulent lifestyle, the lower classes got along under the pressure this created, and were it not for generous handouts and charitable acts by local administrators it was most likely that rebellion might have swept its way throughout the Empire long before Gaius had even thought of leading his own quite personal rebellion.

For Gaius the discovery of his heritage had created a thirst to know more of what his people had lost when the yoke of Rome had settled across their necks. Even though there was grumbling here and abouts, however, most Japanese had grown to accept the Roman way as the only form of civilized behavior in existence. Yet where injustice multiplied, where the noose grew tighter around their necks, people began to fume and chaff under the system that presently held power over the world, and in time these had flocked under the banner of a new Shogun, rallying behind the forgotten sunrise flag of the ancient Empire. Gaius himself had been a reluctant convert to rebellion, having only been concerned with his own personal liberty prior to his meeting with Sensei Hiko, but now he was the notorious Black Dragon, the most feared rebel in all of the four islands, and though no more than eighteen summers he already had an impressive run of victories to his name. As no man had yet to best him in open combat, he was acknowledged as the warrior to lead the people, their champion and defender.

So naturally Rome did what it always did when faced with clever upstarts...it bought them out or got someone to turn on them in their own organization. It was a very old story, and one that had kept Rome predominant throughout all of recorded history. Even now in the modern age of jets and computers, it was Rome that set the tone for the world to follow. Even those who had never traveled far beyond a day's travel from their provinces and villas dreamed of Rome as an ideal for which men had bled and died for countless generations. Japanese soldiers filled the rank of Roman armies, spoke Latin more fluently than they did their native dialects and fought in all of Rome's punitive wars to crush the aspirations of other people who sought a different system. Most Japanese of the day could hardly imagine a world that did not have Rome at its very center...

Well...now Gaius would show them how to dream of a different way, and it all began here, right now in this arena where the Romans thought to quell yet another upstart. They did not know the hard price Gaius had paid to achieve what he now was, nor did they suspect the real reason why his followers referred to him in whispers as the "Black Dragon." But they would learn very shortly...and yes, they would learn the meaning of real terror.

But as he thought this Gaius found himself drawn to the familiar sounds of metal on metal, and as they reached the arena itself he saw the all-too-typical sight of what happened when Rome practiced its notions of a penal system. Two men fought each other wearing heavily padded armor and employing real weapons that were meant to kill in as gruesome and messy a fashion as could be asked for, all to provide fresh blood for the cameras to close up upon in the final clench, the image broadcast over huge screen projections so that the crowd filling the domed arena would not miss a single agonizing detail.

It sickened Gaius to think how he once thrilled to the cheers of these maddened throngs of spectators chanting hungrily for the death of one or both combatants, but even more since he recognized the fighting styles of the two men and knew them at once as his own followers, Hiroshi and Daisuke, a couple of peasant boys with large dreams of one day living on a rich villa in splendor and comfort. It was a cruel jest of the gods that their dreams were now to be shattered, for he saw Hiroshi raise his buckler a bit too high, and Daisuke thrust in past his best friend's guard to paint a bloody trail in the sands with Hiroshi's entrails, almost too shocked to see that buckler descend until it had struck just beneath his helmet's neck-guard and felled the other young man, leaving both boys sprawling in the dust while the onlookers went wild with applause and raw animalistic enthusiasm.

Gaius cold only stare and force himself not to weep as his two best friends were dragged from the arena floor, leaving a trail of crimson mud in their passing. Roman justice indeed, forcing friends to kill one another for the amusement of their "Betters," though their real purpose was that of love for a brother, favoring a quick death over the long agony of public execution.

But then Gaius saw the hapless crucified forms ringing the arena and did weep, understanding now why Hiroshi and Daisuke had been "persuaded" to fight with one another, obviously to spare each comrade the fate of those who adorned the arena crosses. Gaius recognized each and every one of those persons who filled up the space surrounding the oval-shaped track as he was marched to the center of the arena by his guards and the ever-smirking Taro. Of most noteworthiness was his own father and mother, still very much alive by the cruel whims of the Governor, who had chosen not to break their legs as was considered the "merciful" way of speeding the death of a crucified individual. Next to his father hung the former Baron Soun Germanicus Tendo, one of the last of the Free Lords who had dared to hope of a Japan ruled by its own Shogun, speared through the wrists and ankles as he hung there waiting to die the death of an Imperial traitor. His mother and father were hardly in any better shape though they still remained conscious enough to stare up at their son with sad eyes and apologetic expressions.

It did surprise Gaius that none of Soun's three daughters were there on display, though he counted that scarcely as a mercy since they were doubtless on hand witnessing the slow and excruciating torture-death of their once-beloved father. Gaius moved his eyes until he had located his erstwhile bride and her two sisters, not at all surprised to find them in the Executive box belonging to the Governor, positioned high above the arena floor with the Governor's family flanking his chair, including Nocturna, who had obviously departed for there sometime after leaving the company of Gaius.

There he was at last, Godai Auralius Maximus Kuno, the butcher whose misrule of the province had caused such grief as a thousand lifetimes could never atone for. Gaius narrowed his eyes as he stared at his hated enemy, and at the young man seated beside his crazed father, young Tatewaki Verilius Maximus Kuno, Nocturna's older brother and the heir to the governor's fortune. Governor Auralius was reputed to be quite mad, while his son was of a more competent nature and complex disposition. It was an easy toss-up which man was the more hated throughout the province, though once, a very long time ago, Gaius had counted the younger man as a friend and almost a brother. That before young Maximus began to evidence signs of the same errant spirit that afflicted his father, proof indeed of the concept of genetically inherited disorders.

Somehow Nocturna had only half the measure of crazed madness afflicting her otherwise generous nature, but since the suicide death of her mother it was reputed that she had become fey and morbid in her leanings, studying the mysteries of poisoned plants and the like until she was the most accomplished poisoner and amateur pharmacologist in the province. For reasons which eluded him, Gaius had become the object of her long-term affections, though it was rumored that Nocturna had taken many lovers in her time, both male and female, and had strange tastes and exotic passions that mandated a steady stream of slaves would enter (yet not necessarily leave) her bedoire. Her latest victim of choice appeared to be the lady Messelina, for Gaius saw his sometime consort pouring wine into Nocturna's cup even while the girl's father was dying on a cross in the arena.

And there, curled up at the feet of young Maximus, was the object of his search...the fair Agripina, sitting chained and miserable while at the total mercy of the vile Kuno scum who had brought ruin to her household. Knowing her fierce spirit as well as he did, Gaius knew that his newlywed wife was in agony to match that of a person being physically tortured. Only the fair Cassandra, who sat by herself as erect as a statue, seemed to be spared of the misery, and that because of a glassy-eyed state no doubt induced by heavy medication. If Gaius had any cause to feel gratitude towards Nocturna, it was for that one small mercy, to spare the gentlest of Tendo Clan from having to suffer with the destruction of her entire household.

Gaius wanted to wail and lash out in rage at the ones who were behind this, but he stood as impassive as a marble statue, waiting and biding his time, feeling the gnawing tendrils of the Dragon rising up within him, seeking to burst out. Soon, very soon it would know the release it craved, but for now he had to be as stoical as a Spartan. Rushing into things was what ultimately doomed a rebellion, and for the day of vengeance to be realized here and now he would need to have time to prepare himself for the moment, even as he could feel the rage boiling up within him, taking on a life of its own, coiling up at the base of his spine and preparing to strike with the venom of a thousand salamanders. Then Rome would know indeed the wrath that it had visited upon far too many others, and even the Augustus in his palace would know such terror as would be remembered for a thousand years to come.

All of this flashed through his mind in the span of several heartbeats as he waited for the governor to rise to his feet and pronounce his sentence. The older Auralius seemed to be savoring the moment with undisguised glee, almost like a kid in a candy store looking forward to more bloodshed. He all but clapped his hands together before waving at some guards in the manner of some pre-arranged signal. Gaius noted that the guard surrounding him tensed up and stood even more alert and ready, and then he discovered why as another body of armored men moved into the ring, flanking a slender female form in chains, the flash of her purple hair at once informing him as to her identity and the reason for her being within this circle.

"No..." he whispered under his breath, "Dear gods...no...not her..."

"{Deal with it, Eponius,}" Taro said in sadistic relish, "{This day your bitch dies right before your eyes, and you can't do a damned thing to save her. That will make the fate they plan for you look like a walk in the hanging gardens.}"

The second company of guards came to a halt directly before the group that was flanking Gaius, and then the lead men parted from their position blocking his full gaze so that he could see that it was indeed his woman, Xian Pu, who was being readied for public execution. His barbarian lover, wife and companion in arms looked at him bravely in spite of wearing nothing more than a light chiton in the manner of a common slave. He studied her ruby eyes and felt his own courage begin to falter, but she lifted her chin and looked proudly at him, defiant to the end, his fierce Amazon sword mate, also captured by treachery and now being prepared to mark the way for his own execution.

Gaius recalled the day when he had first met this strong and indomitable beauty, the day when he first forged the pact with the Amazons, which in turn made so much else possible in his long search for the lore he needed to become the greatest fighter in the orient. Defeating her in battle had paved the way to so much else once she declared him her husband and made him officially a part of her rebel tribe of exiled warrior women, and he recalled the first day when they had made love to one another, clinging fiercely in the night to each others bodies, supple and yielding to the needs each sensed within the other, two kindred souls locked together in an enterprise that had borne fruit within a few months of their too-brief union. For two years she had been at his side through thick and thin, risking everything, daring all who came against them, and somehow triumphing against great odds, even bearing his children when the time came and the gods favored their birthing, which-appropriately enough-came upon a battlefield with little Conan and Sonja being delivered by their great grandmother under a sky so full of lightning and thunder.

It could not be ending like this. His mind rebelled against the very concept. His Xian-Pu could not be taken from him in the very same hour as his greatest triumph! Even more than the impending deaths of his friends and family, her one life mattered more to him than his own soul and very nature. His humanity was grounded upon the love he bore for her, and seeing her now made him regret all the more their decision to have him marry Agripina in order to cement a political alliance and secure his claims to the regency of the province. More than anything he had wanted to acknowledge her as his rightful first wife, but the demands of politics and duty were harsh in their tribute, and so Xian-Pu had relented to stand aside in favor of another.

Lord Kuno chose that moment to rise to his feet and give the speech he no doubt had been eager to deliver all along. With a manic grin on his broad features, Auralius declared, "LORD EPONIUS GAIUS TIBERIUS SOATOME...YOU WHO DARED CONTEND WITH THE MIGHT AND THE JUSTICE OF ROME! YOU WHO DARE CALL YOURSELF THE REBEL LEADER BLACK DRAGON, YOU ARE FOUND GUILTY OF HIGH TREASON AND HEREBY PRONOUNCED ANATHEMA OF ROME! YOU ARE HEREBY CONDEMNED BY THE DIVINE AUGUSTUS AND HIS REPRESENTATIVE IN THE ORIENT AND WILL BE CONSIGNED TO THE DEPTHS OF TARTARUS, NEVER TO BE REBORN INTO THIS WORLD, AND THE MEANS OF YOUR EXECUTION HAS BEEN DECIDED BY ME TO BE...TORN APART BY WILD HORSES FOR THE AMUSEMENT OF THE MASSES!"

There was the obligatory cheering and applause from those selfsame masses, though whether this was voluntary or because the signs flashed on to compel such responses, calculated to play well to the viewing audience watching this televised spectacle in the privacy of a thousand times a thousand domiciles was beyond easy determination. Gaius only knew that he was deaf to such entreaties, hearing only the wind of the pompous Lord Governor and knowing the man only condemned himself by incurring the wrath of the Black Dragon whose presence clawed ever further up from the depths of Gaius's being. He was this close to losing his grip over the monster within him altogether, and the thought of losing Xian-Pu was fueling the most terrible rage imaginable. No matter what the outcome now, the Dragon would manifest and take control over him completely without the restraining influence of humanity to hold the monster in check...

Not that there was anything human here to get in the way of his fury as the rage boiled up within him and caused him to strain at his chains, alarming his guards and making them all the more nervous.

Lord Kuno raised a hand to bid the audience to silence again, then spoke once more through the magic of the arena's PA system, "MY SON WANTED THE CHANCE TO DO FINAL BATTLE WITH YOU, TO GIVE YOU ONE LAST CHANCE AT AN HONORABLE DEATH, BUT YOUR BETRAYAL OF HIS FRIENDSHIP WOUNDS HIM MORE DEEPLY THAN WORDS, AND SO I CANNOT ALLOW YOU TO DO HIM FURTHER INJURY. IT IS SAID THAT YOU HAVE SLAIN MANY WHO STOOD AGAINST YOU IN BATTLE, AND MUCH THOUGH THIS ARENA WOULD WELCOME THE CHANCE TO WITNESS ITS FAVORITE SON DYING IN BATTLE TO PLEASE THE GODS, YOUR SHAME DENIES YOU ANY RIGHT TO SUCH A PRIVILEDGE. THEREFORE WATCH AS WE PUT TO DEATH YOUR BARBARIAN COLLABORATOR, THEN JOIN HER IN OBLIVION YOU MOST ODIOUS OF TRAITORS!"

"Beloved," Xian-Pu spoke softly for his ears alone, "Take courage. Death is not the end for us, nor can these fools know the life we two have embraced together. Take heart, my brave Airen...our children yet live! Great-grandmother spirited them away to a haven far removed from the reach of the Caesars, so even if we two must die their future is assured. I can gladly face my end knowing that one day they will have freedom, and that the spirit of their father lives on in our children."

"Xian-Pu..." Gaius murmured, feeling the world about to bottom out from underneath him.

"How touching," Taro sniffed before nodding to the guards and saying, "Get on with it. The bitch dies now."

Xian-Pu spared only the most scathing, contemptful glance towards Taro before sinking to her knees and preparing herself for death. A guard drew his dress sword from its scabbard and positioned himself directly behind her, positioning the tip of his sword at the base of her spine as he readied to thrust down with expert precision, intending to pierce her valiant heart in what passed for Roman mercy, though he might just as well have hacked off her head with the thing for all the mercy Gaius was about to show him.

"NO!" Gaius cried, feeling the last tendrils of restraint begin to erode over his control over the monster that slept within him, his chains beginning to buckle and shatter as the men guarding him looked in alarm at the prospect of his breaking lose from their bonds and unleashing his full fury.

But then the unexpected happened...the dome of the arena began to shake violently, a vibration that filled the air and caused the auditorium to quiver as though an impending earthquake was about to unleash its full fury. Even Gaius noticed the sudden shift in reality all around them, and paused to glance upward as shadows formed to block the artificial lighting, then heavy bodies rained down from above and everyone underneath them was either flattened or forced to immediately scamper for cover.

"What the...?" Taro declared before finding his vision blocked out by a pair of tattered green trousers and a massive butt that hit him in the face and mashed him into the sandy floor the next instant. There was a mercifully brief 'plotsch!' from beneath.

"Huh?" reacted the massive yellow-skinned giant who glanced down and said, "Ryoga land on something soft? Where Ryoga wind up this time, and why so many funny lights and smelly people?"

Unnoticed in the havoc this created, Gaius broke his chains and freed himself of all restraints, then shoved guardsmen aside in order to reach Xian-Pu, his fist driving the man holding the sword back into the distant stands trailing blood all the way. Gaius wrapped his arms around his foreign wife and hugged her tightly, waiting for the rain of bodies to come to a halt, then risked glancing up and around at the curiously dressed strangers before catching sight of one of these young men and exclaiming, "I...do not believe this..."

"That makes two of us," said the young man in the lab coat as he straightened up and looked around, "We seem to be in some sort of public auditorium, but there's sand on the floor, and...what is that horrible odor?"

"Shampoo smell blood," the furry cat-girl beside him wrinkled her nose in distaste, then narrowed her eyes and added, "Airen..."

"Um...Doc?" said the girl in coveralls standing opposite to the purple-furred catwoman, "You see what I see? 'Cause I sure wish I wasn't..."

"Ugh...GROSS!" winced Nabiki, "What sort of hell hole is this, and...Daddy? DADDY!?"

"Dad?" said four sets of Akane at once as they all went wide-eyed and stared in dismay at the wounded man who looked so much like their own father.

"Oh my," the lone Kasumi in their midst remarked, feeling the term inadequate to describe such a scene of indescribable horror.

The normal looking boy standing near to her saw what was making the girls beside him go into a panic and then followed their gaze and blanched, "D-Dad? Mom? MOOOMMM!"

"How horrible," exclaimed a purple haired boy, "Sis...what kind of insane madhouse is this?"

"I'm afraid to speculate," the black haired girl beside him averred, "But I think an old 'Trek' episode called 'Bread and Circuses' comes to mind here..."

"What kind of insanity is this?" said a version of Gaius who had a monogrammed letter on one shoulder of his shirt.

"Insanity, yes," said an identical fellow wearing a Samurai hakama and staring cold-eyed at their surroundings, "No sane mind would contemplate such an abomination."

"My lord!" the girl in ancient Japanese dress at his side (who looked astonishingly a lot like Messelina) pointed towards the executive box, "I spy the lord Kuno and his heirs, but...what manner of strange dress is this? Is this some sort of executioner's place?"

"Execution?" said the armored girl sporting the big spatula across her back, "Looks more like human sacrifice to me..."

"What outrage is this?" demanded an oddly dressed Nocturna, "Who is this imposter I see who looks so much like me, and that perversion of my father and brother..."

"Yes," flashed a silver-armored Maximus, "Perversion is correct since no man of honor would sit idly by and permit such atrocities to be performed like public spectacle! The righteous rage of the heavens must surely be turned lose upon those monsters who wear human shape and dare to torment the elderly, the weak and mere women!"

"Um...not that I mean to disagree with you, Kuno-san," said one of the trio of Ryogas, "But did you happen to notice that they have guns...and we do not?"

"Never bother me with such trifles," said a duck-masked and cloaked individual, "These crimes demand the hand of justice to take swift and effective action!"

"Are you for real?" asked a version of Xian-Pu who was dressed rather a lot like a techno.

"Doesn't matter if he is or not," said a dark haired young man holding up a glowing green ring, "His sentiments summarize the situation grandly."

"What say we get this rumble going then, Bro?" said the brown haired girl beside him.

"I couldn't agree more," said the yellow skinned giantess beside her, turning to the yellow skinned behemoth and saying, "Whenever you are ready, Father."

"Father?" the Incredible Oni replied, scratching the top of his head with a chisel-like finger, "What is strange nice-looking girl talking about? Ryoga is confused..."

"Well, that's normal anyway," said the redheaded boy standing close nearby, "But I think you'd better take a good look at those stands and see what those guys are doing to all those people, including my grandparents, Uncle Ryoga."

"Huh?" the Incredible Oni replied, then his eyes got very round as he saw the bodies hanging from crucifixes and cried, "RYOGA SMASH!"

"For once we're in total agreement, big fellow," said the Ranma with an "S" insignia, "This is one travesty that's coming down now!"

The Lord Governor, having stood there for a time with his mouth hanging open (no doubt, Gaius reasoned, finding this tableau too bizarre even for his warped thinking-not that Gaius disagreed for once, since he'd been doing the same thing), finally broke out of his stupor and did the characteristic thing for when confronted by situations outside his own limited experience, which was to point to the guards and cry, "SHOOT THEM!"

A hundred automatic rifles were cocked at once, and then they unleashed a salvo of bullets that tore the air apart and rocked the auditorium to the very rafters. The hail of metal rang down upon the gathering of alternate universe types and briefly obscured all view of them for the next several seconds until the Lord Governor noticed a peculiarity in this setting...namely that no one was falling over torn to ribbons by these bullets. This sufficiently perplexed him that he raised his hand again and grandly ordered a halt to the fire, then stared in amazement with the other attendants as they at last made out the enormous green bubble that surrounded the would be victims and left them untouched by any of the bullets.

Moreover, all of the guards who had been standing in their midst were on the ground and none were moving, some of their weapons taken apart as though mere tinker toys and left scattered on the ground as though of no consequence to the fighters.

Ranma, who had grabbed the nearest person to him and hugged the ground, instinctively protecting her with his body, chanced to look up just then at the sudden looming silence, surprised at seeing the bad guys down while none of those who had come with him appeared to be so much as scratched by any of the bullets.

"Um..." the person he was laying atop asked hesitantly, "Do you do this sort of thing with a girl very often?"

"Huh?" Ranma glanced down, then his cheeks flushed red as he found that he was laying over the upturned chest of a surprised Tendo Nabiki. He abruptly sat up and hastily said, "I'm sorry...I..."

"Never mind," Nabiki glanced around and said, "Call me crazy, but I've suddenly got the distinct notion that those gun-toting Hollywood rejects have just made a very bad career move."

Not surprisingly, Ranma found himself in total agreement with that statement.

"All yours, folks," the boy with the glowing green ring said darkly.

"Take them," said the version of Ranma wearing a lab coat.

"RYOGA SMASH!" the yellow skinned giant cried again, this time bringing his hands together in a clap that was aimed at the bleachers, and which caused a massive shock-wave that all but deafened everyone in a hundred meter radius. Winds comparable to those of a hurricane blew armored men off their feet and blew part of the ceiling panels away, letting in a shower of dim sunlight and flecks of rain from the storm that had been brewing outside.

"Oh great," winced the "S" monogrammed version of Ranma, who had been in the process of tearing down several of the crucifixes and gently lowering them to the ground so as not to further traumatize his mother and father, "That's all I need now..."

Even as he spoke his voice rose up several octaves and his clothing shrank a bit to accommodate his new dimensions. Long blond hair done up in a pig tail replaced his normally black hue and he suddenly looked more appropriate for a string bikini than a Speedo pair of briefs. He tried his best to ignore this even as he yanked the spikes out of the flesh of his parents, doing his level best not to upset the bones while hastily moving to staunch the resultant bleeding.

The chaos that ensued only intensified as yet more armored men poured into the arena with automatic weapons blazing, but as fast as they appeared they were met by a savage charge that sent their numbers scattering into the dust and mud as flashing sword and fists of fury laid waste to their number, scattering men here and about as both Samurai and high-powered Martial artists proved once and for all that the gun was not mightier than a Ki-bolt fired with precision from someone who knew how to launch it.

Gaius, not one to let opportunity pass him by, waded into the thick of the fray, pressing in close so that the Roman soldiers could not risk firing at one another and were thus less effective. A gladius in both hands, he became a living whirlwind of fury, tearing into their ranks without mercy or restraint as his beloved Xian-Pu grabbed up a sword and did her level best to compete with the body count he started racking. They fought like demons while their nominal allies(?) showed more restraint and far more mercy in dealing with their own opponents, all save the silver-armored Samurai who resembled Kuno, who moved to the front of their ranks and directly confronted the trio that resembled both himself and his own family, his fury as open as the gleam of the blade which he wielded to such devastating effect.

"YOU!" he cried directly, "What base pretense is this that you would besmirch the name and honor of the family of Kuno? How dare thee claim to be me who could continence such horror!"

"{What manner of demon are you?}" declared his Romanized counterpart, drawing his short sword and looking ready to do battle, "{Did Eponius summon you up from the depths of hell to taunt me and my family? Well, I will not have it! Begone foul spirit!}"

"Churl!" the Silver Samurai declared, "You would taunt me in a foreign language? This insult cannot be forgiven, and your insolence demands that I show you the same mercy that you have displayed to these others! Have at you!"

What resulted was a brief and uneven struggle that ended as abruptly as it began with the Samurai easily disarming the Roman in three quick passes. The armored Kuno then felled his Maximus double with a sharp rap of one elbow to his chin, then stood above him with sword raised crying, "For the honor of the Kuno line, I do strike this blow in the name of Justice!"

And then the guards standing close nearby finally remembered who was paying them andopened up on the Samurai and with point-blank accuracy unleashed a hail of bullets.

"This is nuts!" declared an Ukyo who was fighting with a borrowed short sword, wishing she had a pair of Sleeper Pistols in her hands to cut down on the number of foes pressing against her.

"I know it is!" said the Nabiki next to her, who was fighting with equal fury, albeit less effect since she was not in Ukyo's class as a martial artist, "We're scientists and lawyers, we're not supposed to be doing remakes of Sword and Sandal movies!"

"You take what dice gods throw at you, short-hair," said the lavender-furred Shampoo as she savagely slashed at the fancy ceramic-and-kevlar armor of the Romans with clawed hands that could tear solid steel like yesterdays newsprint.

Four versions of Akane, meanwhile, were having a time of it venting their own respective levels of discontent on the unfortunate Romans while a lone Kasumi stood apart and went, "Oh my!" a lot, having little valuable to contribute at this stage of the proceedings.

Another version of Kasumi dressed in far more traditional garb and clutching a wakazashi blade in hand turned to her counterpart and said, "I am terribly sorry, but if you are not going to be doing any of the fighting, then please try and stay out of trouble. Father would be most upset if anything were to..."

"Father?" that Kasumi started as if just then remembering something, "Oh my! He needs our help."

The other Kasumi blinked then turned to see where the oddly dressed version of Saotome Ranma was laying a wounded version of Tendo Soun upon the ground and declared, "So you are right...we must help father!"

Gaius managed to clear a path to where he could confront this stranger who bore his features, only when he arrived he found that worthy nursing the wounds of his mother as she bravely looked up at him and with bloodied fingers caressed his cheek saying, "{You are...so manly...}"

"Mother," that version of Ranma answered, tearing in his eyes, "What have they done to you and Pop? Those...bastards..."

"{Stand aside,}" Gaius declared with less force than he had originally intended, kneeling down on the opposite side of the wounded Nodoka and saying, "{Mother...}"

She turned at him and smiled bravely then said, "Finish it, Gaius, my son...avenge us and all those who have been wronged by the House Kuno.}"

"{I will, my mother,}" Gaius averred, "{I swear it.}"

"{Such a very...good son you are...}" she murmured faintly before slumping into unconsciousness from the combination of trauma and blood loss.

"I did what I could to staunch the bleeding and cauterize the wounds," Ranma informed his counterpart, "But beyond that...I'm no doctor..."

"But I am, Stranger," said a dark haired boy as he elbowed past the Ranma with an "S" and knelt down beside the injured woman, "I will see to it that grandmother remains alive until she can get proper medical treatment, but you need to tend to the Romans if you want the rest of us to remain healthy."

"{Who are...?}" Gaius began to ask of the young man when he saw his own blue eyes stare back at him with a flash of annoyance.

"{The Gods damn you, Father,}" the youth replied testily, "{Must you always waste time with pointless questions when there's a fight to be won? Never mind that it was a battle you ended long before I was out of diapers...}"

The impossible staring him into the face, Gaius would never know what spirit moved him to say, "{Conan? My...son?}"

"Yeah," the other Ranma sniffed as he straightened up, "Tell me about it. There seems to be a lot of that going around. Look after Mom and Pop, kid, and say a few prayers for the guys I'm about to trash who did this to them and Mister Tendo..."

"Hold, Strange one," Gaius said in Japanese as he, too, rose to his feet, "This battle is mine to end. Unless you and your companions are gods sent down from the heavens, then I suggest you stand back and allow the Black Dragon to do what Fate has set down for him, which is the end of the Kuno Dynasty and the beginning of the end for the Romans."

"Ah...well...look, Brother," Ranma reluctantly replied, "No offense, but you didn't seem to be doing so well until..."

Abruptly that version of Ranma stopped talking altogether, for his bare-chested counterpart suddenly manifested an aura unlike anything he had ever previously imagined, and his eyes were glowing redly, signifying that something very odd was about to happen.

Meanwhile the Lady Kodachi had fought her way past the guards surrounding her fallen brother and sent them scurrying with a salvo of Akagiyama missiles. Their puny bullets being ineffective against her suit's powered shielding, she was able to kneel beside the armored body of the Silver Samurai, at once becoming contrite as she said, "Tachi-kun? Brother dearest? Are you badly injured?"

"Nay, good woman," came the pained response from her recumbent sibling, "I do but rest myself after the foul attack that did fell me from behind. Mine armor took the brunt of it, but I may need a moment to catch my second wind..."

"Tachi-kun," Kodachi almost sobbed in relief, "You always try to push things much too hard." Then she glared at the man standing a short distance from her holding up a gladius and growled, "But that seems to hold true no matter what the dimension."

"Who are you, Witch?" Maximus demanded, "Are you an assassin sent to impersonate my twisted sister?"

"No," Kodachi said pleasantly, "But I am an avenging angel out to set right the wrong you have done to the name of Kuno. It is one thing to rule over a people and administer harsh judgements, but you wallow in butchery and slaughter as though it were your daily meat and drink!"

"All those who oppose the house of Kuno must perish," Maximus replied, "It is only right that they suffer before leaving this world of sorrows, their agony serves as a moral instruction for those who might follow them down the path of future treason."

"That you believe this to be so I can clearly judge to be the case," Kodachi said sadly, "Which is why I feel no compunction about doing...THIS!"

And with that she unleashed a stream of mini-rockets from her gauntlets, exploding the arena around where Maximus was standing while leaving him untouched. He flinched at these detonations, then straightened up and was about to ask why she had spared him when the floor beneath his feet began to crack and shatter, and all at once the reinforced concrete gave way beneath him, plunging him down amid an avalanche of debris while Kodachi grabbed her brother and spirited him to safety.

"My son!" Auralius cried in horror from where his bodyguards had been ushering him to safety, then he waved a hand and cried, "{KILL THAT BITCH! SHE MURDERED MY SON!}"

"{AURALIUS!}"

The Lord Governor and his entourage turned to find Gaius blocking the path of their retreat, his eyes blazing with inward fire and the fury of the Dragon.

"{Kill him first!}" the Governor waved to his men, who were already drawing weapons when their boss suddenly staggered forward with a stunned expression, Lord Auralius's eyes going wide with dismay, and then he sagged to his knees and fell forward onto the steps he had not yet taken, a wicked dagger having sprouted from his back that had the monogrammed insignia of House Kuno on its bejeweled pommel.

"Death to the traitor who has betrayed all of us," the lady Nocturna declared proudly before her father's bodyguards turned on her and opened fire.

"MY LADY!" lady Messalina cried out, her voice all but drowned out under the sounds of the battle raging all around them.

"NO!" Gaius lunged forward, a wave of black fury rising from his battle aura to sweep the gunmen off their feet and send them careening into the lower rows of the stadium, twisting and writhing as though being burned from within. At once he caught Nocturna as she started to fall, seeing blood on her lips as she bled all over him, her eyes still proud and shining with the light of nobility tinged with madness.

"{Beloved one,}" she softly gurgled, "{As I promised you...I give proof...of my love...the one who has brought sorrow...to us all...is dead...}"

"{Why?}" Gaius asked, "{I would have...}"

"{You were about...to surrender...yourself...to the Dragon...I know...}" Nocturna explained whispered softly as bubbles flecked her sensuous lips and the light in her eyes began fading, "{...But I could not...allow it...the despair...to consume you...I love...you...my...lord...Gaius...}"

"{NO!}" Gaius pleaded, "{Sweet gods of Olympus...don't...don't...}"

Nocturna's eyes took on a look of peace as she spoke her final breath, "{How I have longed...to hear...you speak...to me with such...sweetness...beloved...}"

Xian-Pu, who had arrived in time to witness this scene of tragedy, saw the lady Nocturna slump into her husband's arms, then watched as her Lord Airen bowed his head and wept in grief, the fury of the dragon briefly subsiding back from the shoals of his consciousness. At once the purple haired former slave girl knew that the Lady Kuno had acted to spare her husband from his own inner demons and felt torn by grief herself for the loss of a fallen rival. She laid a hand upon the shoulder of her husband and did what she could to offer moral support, knowing it was inadequate to express the grief they both were sharing as neither one of them would have imagined such a noble end, even as the lady Messalina wept openly herself for the loss of her former Mistress.

"{About time somebody remembered to free me,}" complained an embittered Akane as she found herself confronted by four counterpart, and one of them dressed in a traditional Kimono, "{Um...would someone mind telling me what in the name of the Gods is going on here?}"

"I don't know what all of that means," said one Akane as she casually broke the chains binding her counterpart with her bare hands, "But I think I got the gist of it. Too bad I never learned Latin like Ranma and his geek patrol..."

"Look there!" one of the Akane's pointed, "Is that...Kodachi?" she blanched abruptly, seeing the motionless girl being cradled in the arms of a half-naked Ranma.

"Who is that?" asked another of the Akane's, sensing tragedy yet not knowing what to make of the dying girl in question.

"Trust me, Sis," said the Nabiki in coveralls, "You're better off not knowing."

"That's the last of them," said the boy with a glowing green ring as he gently lowered a body from one of the crucifixes, "They're mostly alive but in really bad shape, and I don't think I can help them with my power ring. Anybody here had the gift of psychic healing?"

"Dunno, Bro," said the redheaded boy assisting the brown haired girl in iron armor, "We could ask around and see, but the others seem kinda busy."

"No kidding," the girl winced as she saw body parts go flying from where the young man with the katana who looked like her father was slicing and dicing up Romans, "Where are all these legionaries coming from anyway? Central casting?"

"What I want to know is why we're still here when we should be fading out like the last three times, Sis," the purple haired boy remarked as he fought beside her while fending off another wave of onrushing attackers.

"Don't worry," Arashi assured her brother, "By my calculations we should be phasing out of here just about any second..."

"Hey...am I becoming transparent again?" a purple furred cat-girl examined her clawed hand and wiggled her fingers, "Shucks, and just when I was starting to bond with Mom too..."

"What did I tell you, little brother?" the dark haired Arashi smiled in confirmation, "I'm never wrong about these things."

"But...what about all the guys who need healing and stuff?" asked the brown haired boy beside them before the question became entirely academic as everyone discovered themselves once again somewhere...elsewhere...

As soon as the battle began it ended with the remaining Legionaries standing around looking surprised at finding their nemesis vanished. Those members of the audience who had risked staying around to see how the battle would be concluded peered up from behind their benches and booths to discover no sign of the notorious Black Dragon or his oddly garbed entourage. Indeed, all that was left was the massive damage that had been rendered upon the arena itself and the body of the late Lord Kuno with no trace at all of his daughter or son (the latter of whom everyone thought it better that they not find what was left of him). Only the cameramen and reporters on duty dared to peer around at the ensuing silence as Roman Centurions began calling their men back into some semblance of order. It would be quite some time before they figured casualty totals, but already those who had survived the fray counted themselves as fortunate as they viewed the remains of their more numerous fallen comrades.

Then Godai the Circus Master bravely rose up from his own hiding place and-to everyone's astonishment-beamed broadly and started clapping.

"Now THAT was a show stopping performance!" he said grandly, "They'll be taking about these games for decades yet to come, and the ratings we'll get will be phenomenal!"

The crowd collectively exchanged looks and milled about a bit before they too started applauding. It was indeed a Circus unlike any other that they had ever attended, and the fact that the Black Dragon had not perished would only add to his growing legend as the death of Lord Kuno would soon make a time for celebration, assuming his next of kin could be accounted for before the inevitable riots tore apart the country. Like all Romans they loved a spectacle more than life itself, and as such they would honor the fallen in their on distinctive way, confident that the Empire would march on as always with or without the Dragon to lead them, and with a Shogun to rally around it was starting to look as if interesting times were once again to be found in the Province of Nerima, Japan, the very nexus of strangeness that was soon to be known far and wide throughout the length of the Empire.

But as for the Black Dragon himself? Even the gods would shake their collective heads and wonder, for that, dear Citizens, is yet another story...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Circus Maximus Implorum: shadowmane

So where does the gang go from here? Far, far away and into a realm unlike any other that they have heretofore experienced. As the cast grows larger the players make their presence known, and fear not! A score card is on the way to sort things out for the confused and troubled among us (show of hands, please) as the Time Cops learn what sort of game is afoot in, "Too Many Ranmas," or, "Rolling Days of Whine and Blunder!" Be there!

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If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: ~ All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	6. Chapter 6

RanWarp06

Realities Warped

By Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi and other artists too numerous to mention)

Chapter Six.

Ranma, the College Daze!

Time Patrol Central HQ Station #1 Nexus of Worlds

"I'm sorry, Sir, but we can't lock down the cause of these anomalies, they're sweeping across the board, causing lateral disruptions along the south peripheral sector..."

"Confirming that, Sir. Multiple transfers across a lateral plane intersecting a dozen continuities so far and doing a fair amount of disruption to in-between dimensional realities. It's as if the entire sector is undergoing a massive shift, creating a literal tear in the Timespace continuum..."

"What the duce is happening there?" District Controller Windsor demanded, "Has Saotome started mucking about again? I told him to keep that kid of his on a shorter leash..."

"Not him, Sir," Deputy Monitor Sakura Tokaguri replied, "Though the phenomenon does seem to be Saotome-related, we can find no trace linking it to Agent Saotome or his Cadet First Class offspring."

"Confirm that, Control," Assistant Supervisor Sylphia Titingel reported, "No activity from the pendant recorded at the exact times of cross-referencing the anomaly. Zero activity from the Yggdrasil connection. Cadet First Class Saotome is currently in Bio-Wing Alpha in the assigned residential block for Supervisor Nabiki's extended family unit."

"Well, if it's not Saotome and that damned pendant of hers...then who is it?" Windsor frowned, "And why does it always have to be those damned parallels of his timeline that give us so much grief?"

"Unknown, Sir," Ryonami spoke up matter-of-factly, "We're having trouble isolating these anomalies so that we can determine their source and recommend a course of action to reverse this problem."

"So where in the nine Hells are the Saotome Wrecking Crew in all this?"

"Speaking on behalf of same," replied Nabiki as she swept into the chamber, "I'm reporting in for duty, now what seems to be the nature of this latest crisis?"

"About time you answered your pager," Windsor frowned, "You and that husband of yours get through with your little project?"

"If you mean have we rescued his daughter from Ranko's now-defunct timeline, the answer is affirmative," Nabiki said coolly, "The extraction process went off without a hitch, and soon we will begin mid-level quarantine procedures to reorient the new addition to our household as per standard induction protocols..."

"Bull," Windsor said with a snort, "We both know that this is completely outside of normal procedures, and I don't know how I let you talk me into agreeing to back you on this harebrained assignment of yours..."

"I do not care to discuss the particulars with you at this time, Sir," Nabiki said aloofly, "I was informed that I was being recalled from temporary leave to deal with yet another cross-temporal crisis in the making. Would you care to brief me on that and stand around debating the wisdom of my actions?"

"Like I want to be your conscience all of a sudden?" Windsor sniffed as he looked away, "That's one stone I don't intend to push up a hill for the remainder of my life. Take your position, Nabiki, and let Ryo brief you on the particulars. The raw upshot is that husband of yours again...some of his brothers on a few key parallel worlds are starting to be gathered up in a cross-  
lateral time wave that's not only sweeping them and those closest to them in chronology but also yanking out future-time Nexus children from each affected timestream. The pattern's much like what we've seen before, but there's something different in the wave pattern itself that I think you'd better study."

Nabiki took her place at her usual station and linked in with her ear-mounted neural control unit, then said, "I'm getting a pattern now on my station...but...what the hell is it?"

"We were hoping you could tell us, Boss," Ryonami replied, "Use a little of that Lore Magic wizardry of yours and isolate the cause of this sucker."

Nabiki studied the image for a few moments then said, "I can't make out a pattern in this...it's too random and jostled...but it does appear to be controlled in some very strange manner..."

"Fine," Windsor said, "You isolate it then help is figure out who or what is behind this, and then you can help us define a means of reversing the damage. Which reminds me, where is that wrecking crew of a husband of yours anyway?"

"Ranchan?" Nabiki replied without looking up, "He's tending to important business, but he'll be along soon enough just as soon as he's ready..."

"Whoah, Boss!" Ryonami reported rather abruptly, "There's an energy build up in the relays...we're getting some kind of a feed-back effect, and it's moving right past the dampeners and shields on our equipment and..."

All at once the entire complex started shaking, causing Windsor to react with alarm as he grabbed for support against the sudden shifting of his footing, even as Nabiki and the others tried to ride out the inexplicable shaking that felt all too much like an earthquake, even though such things were supposedly impossible in Limbo, which only added to the terror and confusion it created...

Elsewhere in the Nexus

"There you go, you little nippers," Ranma grinned as he waved a finger before the eyes of his infant son and daughter, "Hard to believe you could be this tiny now...but how long until you start taking after your mommy and daddy, huh?"

"Considering their genetics, not all that long I'd imagine," Akari Hibiki remarked with wry amusement, "Such well behaved children are a real pleasure to baby-sit, Ranma-kun, not like my own little piglets, who've got way too much of their father in them to be this easy to domesticate."

"Heh, why am I not surprised?" Ranma asked as he lightly chucked both of his twin offspring with the tip of a finger, marveling at how fragile and innocent they seemed, making him wonder if he had ever seemed as helpless or as innocent, and how could a man who left a trail of blood as long and wide as himself ever produce something so beautiful as these, his children?

Akari saw how the normally taciturn Ranma softened his hardened features into a smile of awe and wonder and had a flash of memory of the boy he had been so very long ago. It was enough to bring tears to her eyes to think of how cruel his destiny had been to have walked alone for so long, believing that he was walking death incarnate, destined to only bring tragedy to those who cared about him, which was why it had taken Ranma so long to realize that happiness could be his for the asking. If not for her Ryoga he truly would have been alone and friendless, and if it were not for Nabiki...he might have given up on love altogether, and the miracle of these, his children, would have never come to pass.

Aloud what she said was, "You make a surprisingly good father, Ranma-kun...but then again, I always suspected you would."

"Yeah?" Ranma replied gruffly, "Don't know how you could come up with that. All I ever seem to do is break things, but if anyone deserves the credit, it's Nabiki for being stubborn enough to stick with a sorry fool like me," he withdrew his finger yet continued to stare down at the two sleeping infants, "Ranko and Meiko aside, this is the first time I've actually worked to create something that's noble and pure...and to think, I owe it all to those perverts in the Miroku house on a distant timeline. Of course, that doesn't completely make up for the bad influence they've had on Ranko, but considering how many friends she has who are also half sisters..."

All at once the chamber shook all around them, both the house and the pseudo environment created within the Biosphere reacted exactly as though they were experiencing a Richter 4 Earth tremor. Akari gripped the nearest piece of furniture to stabilize her balance while Ranma instinctively widened his stance and rode it out, then flashed a troubled glance towards one side as though sensing movement beyond the range of normal human perception.

"What the blazes are they doing back at central?" he growled in annoyance.

"That felt just like an earthquake," Akari remarked in dismay, "But I thought the program here never allowed for such anomalies..."

"It ain't supposed to," Ranma replied, "Wait here and guard the kids, I'm going to the office and find out what the duce is going down with the relays."

"Be careful, Ranma-kun," Akari said automatically.

"Who, me?" Ranma snorted as he headed for the door, "Remember who you're talking to here, it's the other guys who gotta watch their step around me. I'm the original survivor."

"I know," Akari murmured as the dark shadow of the "Wild Horse" took his leave of her residence, then she added, "But there are many ways you can be hurt, and that is why I will pray for you, my friend, even if you think you are beyond the reach of mortal danger."

Which reminded her to activate her own com-relay just to check on how her children were doing at school in case the tremor had been felt there as well. She stifled the impulse to attempt to call her husband on his private line, knowing that wherever Ryoga was, he would usually find his way to the middle of a crisis, and if anyone had a knack for survival it was her loveable-if-clueless noble husband for whose sake she would attempt to be brave, waiting for news of what was happening rather than to intrude into the business of those who were better equipped to manage any crisis, even Ranma and Nabiki, who individually were formidable warriors, but together? An invincible team, and one that gave her hope of a bright future that was always on the horizon...

Continuum #09175263

"Drink up, Ranma, to the good old days long past."

"You've got to be kidding me, Hiroshi," Ranma smirked at his two best friends as he hoisted a drink, "With the kind of past I've lived through these last few years? What do I have to toast to then? I'll toast to the present instead, especially now that life is finally starting to settle into something like a normal pattern."

"So, you really think you've got it all together at last, huh?" Daisuke asked after they tossed down hot sake and thumped their cups down on the table, "No more romantic troubles, no more fianc es chasing you about trying to get you to marry them?"

"Nope," Ranma grinned, "I'm the clear at last and loving every minute of my freedom. Took a lot of effort to worm my way free of the mess Pop left my life in, but now I'm finally my own man, no longer threatened with imminent matrimony at every turn, which means that I'll have only half as many guys coming around to challenge me, and no more getting bonked over the head at every turn by jealous suitors."

"You make it sound almost like a walk in the park, Ranma-kun," Hiroshi noted, "But aren't you the least bit sorry that you've dumped all of your fianc es for the single life?"

"Nope," Ranma assured them, "I don't miss it a bit. Having girls glomp onto me and call me Ranma-sama might seem flattering to you guys, but it was nothing but trouble for me and I'm glad to leave that behind with the rest of that nonsense we went through back in high school. Now that we're in college and are starting to be taken seriously as adults, I can make my own decisions and not have that old fool of a panda mess up my life lording it over me like when I was a minor. About time I got a say in running my own affairs, and I intend to live it up to the hilt while burying myself in my studies so I can really make something of myself for a change and not live in anybody's shadow."

"But...that isn't what we mean, Ranma," Daisuke shook his head in wonder.

"We never could understand how you could have all those really cool girls chasing after you and you always act so cold and indifferent to them," Hiroshi explained, "Especially Akane..."

"Guys," Ranma looked upon his best friends almost pityingly, "You got no idea what you're talking about. I mean...sure, you both had a thing for the Tomboy, but all she ever did was hit and abuse me all of the time, and she never listened to my side of things, she always flew off the handle and jumped to conclusions and called me names..."

"Yeah," Daisuke replied, "But you called her names and did a lot of things to hurt her feelings, and she wasn't always that bad to be around..."

"Never said she was," Ranma sniffed, "But once I convinced Mr. Tendo to cool it on those engagement plans until we could get our finances squared away...well...Akane and me agreed that we needed some time away from each other...like, far away, so she's enrolled in a different college, and we only have to nod and say hi to each other when we rub shoulders together on the weekends..."

"But Ranma," Hiroshi argued, "Are you sure that's smart? What if she meets some other guy who she starts to like more than you...?"

"Hey, I'll take my chances of that happening," Ranma assured them, "With her track record, she probably will meet somebody, and if he can make her happier than me, then who am I to stand in the way of their destiny? Don't act like I'm giving up or nothing, I just realized that if a thing ain't meant to be, then it ain't meant to happen no way. We'll figure out some way of explaining that to Mr. Tendo."

"I don't know about that, Ranma," Daisuke frowned, "You're being awfully casual about this, and that doesn't sound so normal for you. Aren't you the one who fought through thick and thin to win her back for the first two years you knew her? You even killed a god to save her life..."

"Yeah, and what did it ever get me, huh?" Ranma scowled, "It's been three years since I first came to Nerima...three years! And in all that time I never got used to knowing how to handle a fianc e who was as much high-maintenance as Akane, and sometimes...sometimes it felt like she really hated me. I finally got tired of all that and backed away to give myself some room to think, and you know what I finally figured out?"

"What?" Hiroshi wondered.

"That the only reason I ever started to even like Akane was because she was the first girl who treated me nice on the first day I came to her home in need of a friend, and later on, after she learned the truth about my curse and started calling me a pervert, I kept on hoping that I could one day convince her to smile at me the way she did on that first day," Ranma explained, "Yeah, she could be cute sometimes, and she could sometimes light up a room with her smile, and maybe even she could manage to be feminine when she relaxed and didn't try so hard to impress me. But then again, she only started to like me because I spent so much time around her that we started to get used to around one another. Then the other girls came along and instantly I'm guilty on sight of betraying her if one of them even looks at me funny. What kind of a life is that, I ask you? Pretty damned pathetic, and a real thin excuse to begin a relationship, especially since she never could bring herself to totally trust me."

"Well, can you blame her?" Daisuke asked, "I mean...having to compete with the likes of Ukyo and Shampoo..."

"Oh sure, they were nice to look at," Ranma said, "And in a way I did kind of like them back, just not the way they wanted. I never once was unfaithful to Akane, I never did anything to encourage Shampoo and Ukyo to hit on me like they did, other than act really wimpy about telling them to take a hike and all that, but that ain't the same as cheating on Akane, and because she never could see through her jealousy and learn to accept my side of things...or even when it was Kodachi who was coming around and drugging me and pretending we had a relationship together..."

"Yeah, that does sound kind of rough," Hiroshi admitted, "But you and Akane...it always looked to us like you were destined to be together..."

"Then destiny ain't all its cracked up to be," Ranma stated flatly, leaning back in his chair and studying the cafeteria that lay on one end of their college campus, "Look around you, guys, and take a good look at the study body here. There's lots more girls in the world that you could hit on who won't put you down as much as an uncute tomboy like Akane. You let yourselves dream too much about somebody you know will never look at you the way you want her to be, you'll miss the real picture and life will pass you by, just like when you clowns ignored Yuki and Sayuri and drove them to seek out other guys for their boyfriends."

"Yuki and Sayuri?" Daisuke blinked, then shared a puzzled look with Hiroshi on that subject.

"Bakai," Ranma said with gentle affection, then leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table as he attempted to explain the facts of life to his clueless buddies, "Take me and Ucchan for example...she was my best friend, and it was really hard on me when she found another guy who treated her better than I did. You think it was easy for me to know that I might have had a chance with her if I hadn't been glued at the hip to Akane? I never even knew I could like her that way...she always seemed like a boy to me, even when she wore a dress...but then one day I started to notice, but by that time it was too late. Well, that's pretty much how it was for you guys and your chances at having real girlfriends. You're so obsessed about what you can't have that you miss the bigger picture."

"Uh...don't take this the wrong way, Ranma," Hiroshi said, "But that sounds more like it could apply to you. I mean...if I had somebody like Shampoo coming on to me all of the time..."

"Yeah, no kidding," Daisuke shivered, "Talk about your dream dolls come to life! But the way you treated her all the time...it's like you're not even human."

"Either that or gay," Hiroshi said before he had time enough to realize what he had said, at which point he slapped his hands over his mouth and wore an appropriately horrified expression.

It took Ranma a full thirty seconds to get full control over his temper, which were thirty of the longest seconds in the lives of the other two boys, who knew full well what he could do to them if he were to act upon his impulses. Ranma did manage to calm down, but only by reminding himself about what a pair of clueless perverts his friends could be, only looking at a woman for her physical qualities instead of seeing the inner person.

"Guys," he said as though addressing a pair of simpletons, "I know to you she must have seemed all bouncy and carefree and full of good cheer, but there was a lot more going on upstairs than either of you two clowns might have guessed, and Shampoo is a lot more complicated than that baby-doll persona of hers let on. Don't forget this was the same crazy chick who chased me all the way across China trying to kill, then marry me, and that granny of hers..." he shivered slightly. "You think I'm totally clueless about what might have happened if I gave in and said yes to her constant advances? The minute I gave in even an inch to her I'd be hauled off back to China like a trophy to show off to the ladies back home. Mister Tendo might have raised a fit, but Akane would have gone ballistic, and nobody would take my side or even listen to me as I became Mister Mom for a bunch of Amazon kids. No thank you!"

"I don't know, Ranma," Daisuke frowned, "I think that Shampoo really did like you in spite of those laws of hers. She even stood up for you a couple of times..."

"Yeah," Ranma glanced down and stroked his finger in a pattern on the table, "And the truth is...I did kind of like her too...but not enough to sell myself into virtual slavery for the rest of my life. I'm just glad I was able to make her and the old ghoul see reason in the end, and they stopped bothering me about a year ago, and things have been a lot quieter in my life ever since."

"That's something that's been bothering me a lot lately, Ranma," Hiroshi reasoned, "How did you get the Amazons to go away and leave you alone?"

"Wasn't easy," Ranma huffed in a pale imitation of a laugh, "And I had to pay Nabiki a hefty sum to get her to mediate terms that were favorable to my side, but basically the gist of it is that she and the old woman cut a deal to get me off the hook while salvaging Shampoo's honor. Would you believe she was gong to be exiled in disgraced from her people just because she couldn't get me to marry her?" he shivered again, "Amazons...go figure."

"What kind of a deal?" Daisuke frowned, realizing that part of the story did not make sense, at least from the way Ranma explained it.

For a moment the pigtailed college student frowned and looked vaguely confused before finally admitting, "I don't really know. Some kind of ritual ceremony. They passed around this drink and there was partying and dancing and...I don't remember so good what happened after that, only that I woke up in my bed the next day feeling better than I could remember feeling and Shampoo was gone, along with the rest of her people. Haven't heard from them since, but I hope she's doing okay. Cologne said she'd look after her and keep Shampoo out of trouble..."

"A year ago?" Hiroshi exchanged a troubled look with Daisuke, who nodded back as though confirmed in his suspicions.

"What?" Ranma frowned, not liking the tone of their expression.

"Ranma," Daisuke replied, "You know you're our best friend, and more than that, you're kind of like our hero."

"So please don't take this the wrong way," Hiroshi added, "But there are times when you can be a total baka."

"What do you mean?" Ranma sat upright, "You don't think the old woman pulled something over on me? So way! I was there, and so were Ukyo, Akane and Nabiki..."

"And you don't remember a thing that happened after you started drinking," Daisuke explained before nodding to Hiroshi, who nodded back and poured some sake onto the table, then stuck his finger in it and started drawing a symbol of power, murmuring a soft chant under his breath before uttering a word of power to activate the invocation.

At once a jet of greenish fire burst forth from the liquid, taking the brief form of an elemental before resolving into a spherical image that clouded over briefly before becoming as clear as a portal.

"Spirits who guide and bind us," Hiroshi began, "You Kami who dwell within the mysteries beyond our ken...show us now the fate that befell our friend on the day when the Amazons were last here in this province. Show us now what occurred under the geas of the Sorceress whose name I invoke, she who is known to mortal men as Cologne of the Joketsuzoku."

Ranma leaned forward and stared into the fiery image, and then his eyes went wide as he saw bodies laying naked side-by-side, writing together, both a woman and a man, at which point he declared, "No...no way! They wouldn't! They didn't...!"

"They did," Daisuke said, "Face it, Saotome...you've been had good and proper."

"Whatever you were paying Nabiki," Hiroshi added, "I'll bet Cologne paid her a lot more to go along with this..."

"No, wait...that's her over in the corner, right?" Daisuke pointed, "Yeah, and she's making out with...UKYO?" his eyes went round as saucers.

"I don't believe this!" Ranma swore, "Who's that with Akane? It sure doesn't look like Ryoga!"

"No," Hiroshi said, "I think that's Shampoo's cousin, remember the one who showed up here trying to scalp you? What was her name again...Perfume?"

"But why don't I remember none of this!" Ranma swore, then promptly composed himself and raised his hands, bringing his palms together as he formed an invocation.

"Spirits above in the starry heaven,  
You who watch over everything and Who know the secrets hidden from The minds of mortal men...hear now My petition and remove the clouds that Block my vision...show me the reason why These events were forgotten! Avant, Avari Vicast!"

The spell thus invoked, Ranma gestured towards the portal and then his eyes became abstracted as his aura intensified and the spirit rose up within him in answer to his summons, causing Hiroshi and Daisuke to look upon their friend with nervous anticipation. Seconds later Ranma blinked, and then his aura returned to normal.

"Why that sneaky, no good...how dare she!" Ranma gripped the table hard enough to cause the wood to splinter, "She used a potion on me to make us all fall under the spell of the goddess of love and madness! Even Shampoo was affected...her own granddaughter!"

"But why?" Hiroshi asked as the image of the portal faded to nothing, leaving a faint trail of discolored liquid on the table, "Why trigger an orgy then cause you to forget it ever happened?"

"Yeah," Daisuke said, "It would make more sense to take advantage of this so Shampoo could finally claim you. I mean...get you drunk and bespelled in front of a party of Amazons, all the witnesses could then vouch against you, and there's no way for Akane and Ukyo to protest on account of what they wound up doing with other people..."

"Yeah, that's the part I don't understand too," Ranma scowled, "The spirits weren't exactly forthcoming on that little detail...but as near as I can figure it, that...orgy did something to satisfy Amazon law, restored Shampoo's status in the tribe and everything. Heck, she could have just come out and declared that I was her husband...so why didn't she?"

"Maybe...something else happened to change things," Hiroshi frowned, "Maybe it was more than just nailing you that got her tribe to accept Shampoo back into their midst. For all we know she could have used the excuse to marry somebody else who wanted her, like that Mousse guy..."

"Yeah, riiight," Ranma sniffed, "Even before she started hitting on me she used to treat him like a nuisance, and Mousse never could see reason even when I slapped him with a truth spell. No, somehow what happened at that party changed everything, I just know it did. If only I knew what it did, other than steal away my virginity," he sulked, "And here I thought I was saving myself for somebody who I could love my entire lifetime..."

"Uh..." Daisuke got a very strange look in his eyes before venturing to say, "Ranma...you say it's been a year since this happened? As in...more than nine months?"

"Yeah, I..." Ranma halted in mid-sentence, the horror of those words finally sinking in as he winced, "Oh no...that can't be...she wouldn't..."

"Who are you kidding?" Hiroshi asked, "She would."

Ranma was about to perform yet another scrying spell when the sound of a throat being cleared behind him caused him to start and look around at the grey-bearded Wizard who had come to stand beside their table.

"Practicing your divination magic, Mr. Saotome?" Imperius Falstaff asked with his bland English humor, "Such diligence is commendable...however, we do have rules within these halls against performing spells while eating your lunch. I trust that there was a sufficiently good reason for this?"

"Um...Sir?" Hiroshi raised a hand, "I was the one who cast the spell, and the reason is..."

"When I wish an answer from you, Hiroshi-san, I will ask you a question," Imperius said tartly, "I am waiting, Mr. Saotome..."

"Sir..." Ranma swallowed, "I have reason to believe that a spell was cast upon me over a year ago, one that blanked out a portion of my memories. I have only just discovered the deception and with a chance to clear up a mystery concerning the personal details..."

"Very good," Imperius nodded, "You can tell the truth when it suits you to be honest, Saotome-san. Very well then, I will bring this up to one of the Diviners and see if she can put you down for this afternoon. Then you may ask of her a question and get a straight yes-or-no answer. That should satisfy you concerning this mystery that seems to have upset your thinking greatly all of a sudden."

"Thank you, Sir," Ranma nodded his head, "That will be most helpful."

"Not at all," Imperius replied, "When an apprentice mage of your caliber discovers an enchantment has been practiced upon him, it is only right that you discern the cause and nature of the enchantment, and then seek to remedy affairs in an appropriate manner. It might surprise you to know that I was young once and had my share of romantic troubles. Does this concern the Chinese Witch who used to bother you so much, or was it your former fianc e, the apprenticed Alchemist who did such damage to our facilities the last semester?"

Ranma was about to answer his teacher in Advanced Thaumaturgy when-all at once-his highly acute senses flared to life and caused him to cast his gaze up at the vaulted ceiling, even as his companions did likewise, including Imperius, who went form amused to alarmed in one flash of a candle.

All at once bodies took shape above their heads and began raining down from above, catching many of the students of the Tokyo Academy of Applied Magic to give off startled yelps and cries of alarm, many casting hasty protection spells while others dove for cover as the strange figures began crashing down from above, sowing instant confusion.

"What the heck is going on-?" Hiroshi started to say when-to his surprise-  
Akane Tendo fell quite literally into his lap and startled the poor boy, who had been quite unprepared for such a longed-for occurrence.

"Dimensional infusion," Imperius declared, then he raised his voice and cried, "Wizards! Mages! Clerics! Attend to me now! Apprenticed Healers step forward, I sense wounded persons among these newest arrivals!"

The room suddenly became a hive of fresh activity as trained staff and student volunteers sprang to action in response to the sudden crisis. Ranma and his two companions stood up and stared about in wonder until one fellow rose up from where he had landed and looked around, then addressed himself directly to the apprenticed Wizard and said, "Um...hi, Dad...how's the food here?"

"N-Nani?" Ranma gasped, looking upon his own face worn by a purple-haired complete and total stranger...

"It's getting really bad here," Sakura reported, "Now a sixth continuum has been affected, and there's no sign that the disruptive wave is diminishing its impact..."

"Confirm that," Sylphial noted, "We now have signatures of multiple readings concentrated on the most recently affected plane, #09175263!"

"What the heck is going on here?" Ryonami wondered, "I read about six different quantum versions of Ranma-kun, five versions of Akane, at least three separate Ryogas, Ukyos and Shampoos, two versions of Mousse, one and possibly two versions of Kodachi and her brother...and..."

"And five separate versions of me," Nabiki finished for her, "And three more of Kasumi."

"Plus multiple signatures of Temporally displaced offspring from each affected timeline," Sakura added in dismay, "At least a dozen of them in all..."

Windsor whistled off-key then said, "That's a hell of a convention we're talking about here. Any chance of sorting them out and returning them to their original timelines?"

"Unknown at present, Sir," Sylphial informed him, "But we will continue to research the matter."

"I don't fathom this at all," Nabiki scowled, "Before when this happened it was the Yggdrasil system making use of Ranko's pendant to effect a colossal transfer, but I'm not picking up any signs of that at all here. There's something else behind this energy wave, and whatever it is that's doing this, the only linking pattern is that it seems to be attracted to off-color timelines in the remote Hyperion sector."

"Off-color doesn't begin to cover it, Boss," Ryonami reported, "In one Universe Japan's a world-spanning Empire, and in another it's been a province of the worldwide Roman empire for about five hundred years. In one timeline we get a pretty advanced Tech rating while in the one after that a feudal-age Japan is still isolated from the world at large and they must think gunpowder's a pretty novel invention. I mean...aside from Ranma-kun and ourselves, what is the connection?"

"I don't really know," Nabiki frowned, "But I intend to get to the bottom of this..."

"Yes, well, while you're at it, Saotome," Windsor noted, "Mind finding out what caused that quake we all just felt? We're in a protected domain on the plane of Limbo, for pity's sakes! We're not supposed to get seismic activity out here, it goes against the very nature of the Nexus."

"Unless...whatever is causing this is somehow also affecting the Nexus," Nabiki said thoughtfully as she studied her systems with her hands flowing over the controls as though working at a musical keyboard.

"Don't say things like that," Windsor shuddered, "Now you're giving me the woolies..."

"Welcome to my world," said Ranma as he approached the control center, "Biki often says stuff like that around me, though I think she does it because she gets off on seeing my reactions."

"Don't call me 'Biki," his wife said in a tired growl, "So glad you could join us. How are Yin and Yang?"

"Never so much fun as when you're there to take care of them," Ranma replied as he paused next to his wife's control station, "So what's the deal this time, and who do I get to stomp on for messing around with my offspring?"

"This time it's your brothers in time who are being affected, Saotome," Windsor noted, "Hard to believe there's another Ranma out there who could be as much trouble as you, but scary ideas seem to be the order of the day here."

"Another version of me is doing this?" Ranma puzzled, "I'd murder the bastard, but that'd be a little too much like hara-kiri, don't you think?"

"It's not yourselves who are causing this, Ranma-kun," Nabiki duly noted, her eyes studying the relays while she worked her usual cybernetic magic, "As far as we can tell they're the victims, as are simulacrums of me and some members of our old Nerima wrecking crew. To tell the truth, I don't know what to make of some of these bioreadings, but it looks as if at least one version of you had different parentage with half his chromosomes made up by Nodoka, the other half comprised of...Kryptonian DNA? That can't be right...!"

"Kryptonian?" Ranma blinked, "Next you'll be telling me he runs around with a big 'S' on his chest."

"Me, I always thought that was true of all you Saotomes," Ryonami quipped with ready amusement.

"And I thought all Ranmas had to have at least some of Genma's DNA to be a true Nexus," Windsor puzzled.

"Nope," Ryonami chirped up, "The main strength of the Saotome line seems to rest with Nodoka's half of the family fortune, but on at least a few of the worlds I know it's somebody else who gets to be his mother, like on that timeline that's afflicted by an Angel infestation, where his mother is somebody named Katsuragi Misato."

"Misato?" Ranma blinked then added, "The Lush? Now there's a thought to give even me nightmares..."

"She wasn't that bad to deal with," Nabiki insisted, "But thought of her being merged with Nodoka...yes, that does push things a bit. The really odd thing was that you were born into a slightly different decade, 1994 as opposed to 1976, and Ryoga-kun's father was...Hibiki Gendo?" she blinked in momentary confusion.

"Man, next time I see Ryoga I'm gonna have to needle him about that," Ranma sniffed, "So it was us against the Angels, huh? Well...what else is new? So...what other surprises should we be looking at when we go round up my doppelgangers?"

"We're still trying to figure that part out, Ranma-kun," Ryonami explained, "But a lot of these readings make very little sense, I'm afraid..."

"Well, hurry up and solve this pronto," Windsor instructed, "I'm gonna have to report in to the district supervisor, and I'd like to have at least a few details to share with him before he rakes my hide over the coals."

"Believe me, Sir," Nabiki replied, "I am working as hard as I can to find a solution to this problem, but if we don't come up with one soon it could very well tear a hole through the fabric of time, and if that should happen..."

"Oh yeah," her husband averred softly, "That's when it really hits the fan...and the big nasties come a calling..."

Continuum #09175263

"I can't explain it, Headmaster," the Attendant Healer reported, "Who in the name of sanity inflict wounds like that on people these days? As near as I can tell, someone drove iron spikes through their wrists and ankles in the barbaric manner of a crucifixion...you know, like they tell about in the historical archives?"

"That harkens back to the Roman period, doesn't it?" Headmaster Thaddeus Ambrosias duly noted, "So...what does our young Mister Saotome have to say about these matters? Parallel time duplicates falling out of thin air? Are you sure he didn't conjure them up by mistake?"

"Not so far as we have been able to determine, Headmaster," Attendant Healer Maki Samaguchi related, "But then again, we are trying to make sense of a very confusing degree of conflicting information regarding the probable origins of these people. So far as we can tell they appear to hail from at least five separate realities, each with a history very different from our own, and none of them appears to have the least training in the use of their inherent magical talents."

"You must be joking," Thaddeus reacted, "Not even the Oni?"

"Strangely no," Maki replied, "Although he appears to be a rather atypical specimen of the breed, no doubt owing to his half-human origins, though we suspect several powerful spells are at work that have mutated his molecular structure and locked him into the mold that you see now before us. Of course he also seems a remarkably tame ogre, and he isn't busy ripping students apart to eat them, but provide him with some regular food and he chows right down quite happily, which we have deemed as the wisest course for pacifying him until we can determine his actual alignment."

"I see," Thaddeus replied, "And the lad with the enchanted blade?"

"He appears to be another world's version of one Kuno Tatewaki," Maki explained, "Remember him? The rich man's son who got himself expelled last semester?"

"As a rule I try not to remember things of that nature," Thaddeus remarked before rolling up his metaphorical sleeves and saying, "Well, since Saotome appears to be at the center of this all-no real surprise there-what say we cast an enchantment that will help us get to the bottom of who is who and where each one comes from. Spirits of Air and Fire, Oh guardians who see and record all things, heed our petition and unveil your mysteries...let the identities of the ones who were lost to their own time be revealed to us...AVANT-AVAR-  
RECAST!"

With a dramatic gesture the hands of the Headmaster projected streams of ethereal fire that flared up and formed a series of glyphs, followed by a complex pattern that unfolded into a ghostly scroll, and then lettering and numerals appeared, forming themselves into Kanji symbols that spelled out each one of the strangers by grouping and nature...

DOCTOR SAOTOME RANMA-Age 16, practitioner of the Anything Goes School of Advanced Applied Sciences, Level Twelve Intellect; Father Genma, Mother Nodoka.

SAOTOME RANMA-Age 16, heir to the Saotome Ryu of Kempo and Hapkaido, student of Furinkan High School; Father Genma, Mother Nodoka.

SAOTOME RANMA-Age 16, heir to the Saotome Anything Goes Ryu, possessor of vast Metahuman abilities including Super Strength, Super Speed, Limited Flight, Limited Invulnerability, Superior Perceptual Abilities, Pyrokinetic Vision, Latent Psionic Rating Latent 15, Vulnerable to Energy Attacks of a Specific Wavelength. Residual trace of High-level enchantment, Metamorphic Gender orientation. Father Kal-El (survivor of Krypton), Mother Nodoka, Adopted Step-Father, Saotome Genma.

SAOTOME RANMA-Age 16, heir to the Saotome Kenjuitsu Ryu, Lesser Nobility,  
Father Genma, Mother Nodoka.

RANMA EPONIUS GAIUS TIBERIUS SAOTOME-Age 18, former rebel leader designate "Black Dragon," possessed of latent spirit Dracaenas Eboni in dormant state, some evidence of Akashik Fusion, Metamorphic Transgender Enchantment,  
former Gladiator and heir to Saotome Family Secret Combat Styles; Father Genma,  
Mother Nodoka.

SAOTOME RANMA-Age 19, heir to the Saotome School of Anything Goes Thaumaturgy,  
Apprenticed Wizard, Level Six, enrolled at the Tokyo Academy of Higher Applied Magic;  
Father the Outcast Wizard Genma, Mother the Enchantress Nodoka.

"My word!" Maki reacted, "The boy has a chthonic black dragon spirit possessing him?"

"Evidently," Thaddeus contemplated these symbols, stroking his white beard with long fingers, "A Level Fifteen Psionic? And this other boy a Level Twelve Epistomologist and Inventor? What interesting talents these young people possess, and yet each of them is a different variation of our esteemed Junior Apprentice Wizard Saotome. Interesting indeed..."

"I dare say there will be more such surprises if we were to study the others with the same glyph," Maki deduced, "One can only wonder at the chronological realities that would spawn such a wide degree of genetic variation..."

"Indeed," Thaddeus duly noted, "By the way, what can you tell me regarding the status of the dead girl they brought with them?"

"Well, Headmaster," Maki curled his lip and said, "My people did what they could for her, but then the Clerical Master insisted on taking over, and after him there is the Professor of Necromancy who thinks he might be able to work something out to revive her body and ease her spirit back from the limbo in which it was tragically cast. I do believe a small miracle or two might be worked out if we were to call upon the services of one of our esteemed guests from the upper planes..."

"You mean Belldandy?" Thaddeus sniffed, "Well, why not? Morisato's live-in-lady has been quite helpful to us before, and as a foreign exchange student she is free to practice spells normally restricted to first year students. Have her summoned at once...provided that she is not preoccupied with more...how shall I put this? Personal duties?"

"Already done, Sir," Maki replied, "We but awaited your permission to ask officially for her Ladyship's assistance."

"Then what are you waiting for, Man?" Thaddeus said bluntly, "A young girl's life was tragically snuffed out by violence. We must remedy this regrettable situation as is our duty as Head Wizards of this proud institution."

Across the room, unaware of this conversation, six very different Ranma were gathered around staring at one another and attempting to sort things out for themselves while men in odd dress busied themselves around the motionless body of Nocturna Kuno. One of these Ranmas-who insisted on being referred to as Gaius-eyed the mummery being performed on the late nobleman and frowned appropriately, not liking the presence of Sorcerers and Shamen, who might want to dishonor her body or remove certain parts of it for whatever foul purposes might suit their fancy.

"{What are you doing with her?}" he demanded when his patience could endure no more of this nonsense, "{Let her be alone, she deserves to be honored, not poked at and prodded like some low-born cadaver.}"

"How extraordinary," one of the fellows examining Nocturna's body remarked, "What language do you suppose that is? Sounds a bit like Italian..."

"Rudimentary Latin, I suppose," another fellow remarked before turning to the woman beside him, "You're our resident expert on languages, Sakura-chan...what language does that sound like to you?"

"Definitely Latin, but the dialect is a bit off from what I studied in Europe," the dark haired Shinto priestess replied, "And I'll kindly remind you to stop calling me Sakura-chan, Godai-kun."

"If you are quite through nattering about," her uncle Cherry said testily, "I believe that I have determined this young lady's basic problem."

"Other than the fact that she's stone cold dead you mean?" a colleague asked.

"With as many holes as someone put into her, I should say that is none too surprising," a man in Wizard's robes noted dryly, "Loss of blood alone would have done the trick..."

"At least we've managed to stabilize her body so that tissue decay has been arrested," said one of the Healers present, "But those odd bits of metal in her body...who would do such a thing? It's downright barbaric..."

"What are you clowns going on about?" Kodachi demanded, "I demand you cease your prattling and show some respect for her-my-that woman's body! After all, she is a Kuno, even if she does have curious tastes in clothing..."

"Easy there, Mistress," said one of the Nabikis in attendance, "Maybe we should let these people do what they can to help out. After all, they seem to know something more than conventional science..."

"Help out?" one of the Ranma's countered, "She's dead."

"Oh, so look who knows so much about Death," mocked the professor of Necromancy, "Well, for your information, your lady-friend here is what we in the Necromantic profession refer to as 'Partially Dead.' Mostly Dead would be if she had not received immediate clerical attention, and as for All Dead, well...that's another matter entirely. With All Dead..."

"Oh, I know," the boy with the brown pig tail smiled, "You go through their pockets and look for loose change?" He became aware of the number of stares turned his way and added, "What?"

"Sounds like somebody I know," one Akane remarked rather drolly, earning sour looks from each copy of her sister there present.

"Ahem...well..." the Necromancer continued, "We don't discuss disbursement of personal belongings...it's rather in poor taste, don't you know? But the good news is, being Partially Dead, this lady here can still be revived, provided there's been no damage to neural tissues in the brain and her soul can be recollected."

"Recollected?" Gaius replied, shifting back to his somewhat halting Japanese, "What manner of speech is this? If she is dead, then her shade must rest where the Gods have willed it..."

"Frankly, no," a man in priestly robes replied, "We did a scrying for this lady and have discovered that she is a tormented soul, much conflicted and with many crimes to her shame burdening her with a heavy Karmic weight. If she is allowed to pass on into the next world in the state that she is presently in, well...it will be a most unpleasant afterlife, I can assure you. You see, when a person lives a life that is contrary to their own aspirations and higher values, each crime or sin they perform adds another link to the chains which they must bear in the afterlife, for only a soul that is free of guilt may rise to the higher planes of spiritual existence, while if their soul is weighted down with remorse and regret, then they are borne down to the Chthonic regions of the Astral Plane, the Gross Astral realm known as the negaverse, where they must endure for a time until they expiate their blood guilt and can be reborn once again into a new life whose nature will be determined by their sorrows in the old one..."

"That's depressing," an Akane winced.

"No, actually it is quite fair when you compare it to the alternative view of some theological circles," argued one of the Apprenticed healers on duty, "For example, did you know that some archaic belief systems actually believed in the concept of death eternal? Not like what we know to be the case today where the soul evolves in stages with each new incarnation, they thought that the soul only went one place and dwelled there for all eternity. Can you imagine?"

"Um...just for the record," said Mousse, "What happened to those belief systems?"

"They died out eventually, and good riddance," another student replied, "Dreary cults that vaunted Death as the ultimate reality, as if living in the next world could be more fulfilling than living a good life in this world. I mean, can you imagine even spending an eternity in a place that some would call heaven? I don't know about you, but I'd get pretty bored looking at perfection all the time instead of having the option to travel in my next life to some place that's exciting and exotic."

"Or the other side of the coin," the first student remarked, "Dying and being trapped in a Demon-ruled hell for all eternity. Now there's a nightmare for the sadists!"

"So," said the Ranma with the "S" on his chest, "The point is...you can help her?"

"We can bring her back from death and give her a fresh chance to start over again," the Necromancer shrugged, "What she does with her life is up to her from then on. We all have the freedom of choice in this world, and those choices we make have a very real effect upon what happens in the future."

"The future can be wonderful," said a beautiful girl in a strangely exotic form of dress as she moved forward through the milling ranks of the Academy students, bringing with her an aura of serenity, peace and fulfillment, "But you should try living in the present first and enjoying every moment that life brings you, only then can you be truly happy."

"Ah, Lady Belldandy," the Chief Cleric said with evident delight, "You answered our summons."

"How could I refuse knowing that a soul was in torment and that I can release it?" the mist-brown haired vision of heavenly beauty said with a smile that warmed the hearts of everyone who was in the immediate radiance of her presence, "I could feel her need from where I sat studying in Keichii-san's quarters. This is one who nobly sacrificed herself for love and pride, and yet the burden she carries is a heavy one. I must do all that I can to give her a chance at a fresh start, and as heaven is my witness, I shall grant this boon upon her."

"Who...what are you, lady?" Gaius asked, finding even his heart was suddenly lightened by the smile and gentle voice of the calm and ethereal lady.

She turned to him with that warming smile and said, "You are one who cared for her, and yet you knew it not until too late. I can feel that you are the reason that she went gladly to her fate, yet the fault is not within you but with another. Be content, good sir, your lady friend is not forsaken. Heaven grants this boon in the name of all true love that goes unrequited."

"But..." Gaius began to say, "I'm not..."

He felt a hand on his arm and turned to see Shampoo smiling up at him in that knowing way she had of advising him without speaking. He relented and instead turned to watch as the Lady Belldandy brought her hands together and began praying, a feeling at once filling the air with light as if cherry blossoms were in full bloom, and then the curious markings on her face began to glow brightly, and all fell silent at the sound of her voice raised softly in enchantment.

"Spirits on high and spirits below, spirits of the Earth and spirits of water, air and fire...please grant unto me thy benefaction in the name of this unhappy child who lost a mother and gained a darkness unending. Bring her forth into the light and bestow upon her the gift of a new and fresh beginning...so will it to be...amen."

And then she gently brought her hands down and bathed the body of Nocturna in the light that seemed to pour down from above, causing her skin to glow from within as her outline became briefly highlighted...and something seemed to descend into her like a wispy shadow. The light continued for another few moments, and then Belldandy lowered her hands and allowed it to fade away like mist on a summer morning.

The sound of a single intake of breath caused Gaius to nearly jump out of his sandals, and then to his utter amazement he saw eyelashes flutter open briefly, violet eyes seeming unfocused and confused for a several seconds before coming to rest upon Belldandy, and a smile found its way to aristocratic lips. It seemed as though understanding flowed from one woman to the other in a silent communication before the revived Nocturna turned the focus of her gaze and directed it towards Gaius.

"{Beloved,}" she said very softly, then she closed her eyes again and seemed to relax like a baby in her carriage.

"{My lady?}" asked one version of Nabiki as she moved a hand to confirm the pulse that she felt on the wrist of the now-sleeping Nocturna, at which point she looked up at Belldandy and wept tears of relief, too choked up to say anything more than this, which were sentiments that Gaius well comprehended.

Everyone was hushed for a time as they absorbed the significance of this singular act, then at last the redheaded Ranko said, "Whoah..." which seemed to convey the sentiments of all and sundry.

"Oh my!" remarked three very different Kasumi's, their voices perfectly matching the lovely, melodious tones of the Lady Belldandy.

"How...how did she do that?" asked one of the Akanes.

"And why does she sound so much like Oneechan?" asked the Nabiki beside her.

"Isn't it obvious?" said the purple furred girl standing next to an equally furry Shampoo, "She must be a goddess."

"Why, yes," Belldandy smiled, "How did you know?"

"A...Goddess?" asked the Ranma wearing a lab coat.

"Whoah," said an Ukyo wearing coveralls, "Isn't that a kicker?"

"You said it," said the Nabiki standing next to her, "What next? A Ranma-kun who swings through trees and talks in monosyllables?"

"Don't give the fates any ideas," Ryoga urged, then looked around and said, "Um...does anyone else besides me feel that peculiar tingling sensation again?"

"Like my arms and legs went to sleep and just woke up again?" Xian Pu asked as she swept her eyes to encompass their entire makeshift party, "Now that you mention it..."

"Look," said the Ranma wearing blue mage robes, "I don't know what's going on with you people, or why you all showed up here, but maybe if we pool heads we can bring it up to the Profs and they can help us to sort things out..."

"Too late for that," the armored Ukyo replied.

"Think you coming with us now we go by-by, Airen-copy," said the purple-furred Shampoo.

"Oh great," the boy next to her winced, "Just when I'm starting to get used to being around Dad when he was my age, I gotta go take some trip across the planes with you lot? That sucks..."

"Tell me about it, Bro," the purple haired boy next to him remarked, even as he and the others started to become transparent.

"My word," Thaddeus remarked, "Didn't anyone think to erect barriers to prevent this?"

"I don't understand, Headmaster," said Miki, "We did enforce the wards around the great hall, but somehow they are being drawn away from here by a force far greater than anticipated..."

"Oh my," Belldandy blinked as she watched the party of strangers vanish out of the room altogether, "And we were just starting to get acquainted. I wonder what could be causing this to happen? Maybe I should check back with the home office?"

"Yes, by all means do that, your Ladyship," Thaddeus urged as he turned to the other faculty members and said, "Young Saotome was drawn from here, along with his fellows. This is most ominous indeed. I suspect foul play by one of the higher order of Demons, though how such a being could have pierced the wards protecting this complex seems more than passing curious."

"I would say it was quite alarming myself, Headmaster," the High Cleric agreed, "We shall have to conduct an augury to determine the source and what steps will be needed to prevent future such incidents."

"We must convene a meeting of the faculty at once," Thaddeus noted, "But we'll hold it in the Nostrum...the concert hall has been reserved tonight for Miss Hinako's class on Tantric Sky-Clad Beast Summoning rituals."

"Oh, is that on for tonight?" Miki spoke up with an interested expression, "I'd quite forgotten."

"As had I," the High Cleric duly noted, "Let's hurry up and hold that meeting at once, Headmaster, so we don't have to miss this."

"But of course," Thaddeus replied, reasoning that the business concerning Saotome was certainly important, but some traditions had to be maintained and observed, especially if they involved buxom young single teachers giving live demonstrations with volunteers who helpfully provided the incentive. After all, they were men of learning and reason, but every one of them still had an adequate pulsebeat to confirm that they were still breathing...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Belldandy Tantric Therapy Sessions: shadowmane

Ranko finds herself once more drawn into the thick of things as the mystery of the multiple Saotomes intensifies, so be here next time for: "Time Runner," or, "To Ranma with Love...again?" Be there!

X -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: ~ All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	7. Chapter 7

RanWarp07

Realities Warped

By Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi and other artists too numerous to mention.  
The Character of Shadowmane, however was created by me as my kind-of alter ego,  
so-needless to say-use of him by anyone but me is highly restricted...)

Chapter Seven.

Shadowmane

Continuity #100245968 Toronto University Lecture Hall

"History is an inexact science built on methodology and extrapolation. One cannot depend upon mere theory or conjecture, one must use the tools of methodical research to build a model of past epochs, and even then your hypothesis is tentative, subject to revision when new evidence comes to light to challenge even long-accepted theories. There can be no dogma when it comes to history, you must prove everything within a reasonable margin of error, and even then your results must be accepted by a fair number of your peers before they will even allow you to publish your findings in any respectable journal, let alone a college level textbook..."

I pause to scan the eyes of my audience, looking for signs of intelligent life among the great unwashed masses. A good preamble to any lecture should catch the attention of a crowd before they slip off into the neutral zone of boredom and incomprehension. It takes a lot to catch the mind of the average student these days, mainly owing to the effects of an upbringing that has largely drained them of independent thought and spontaneity, leaving them like lax potato-heads with an average six-second attention span, which is roughly that of the common housefly.

Assuming that first speech was sufficiently long-winded, I decided to up the scales a bit by going into my Rebel Sixties act, which generally does the trick of insuring my students do not consider me an ordinary type of history professor.

"Of course the problem with history is that the average researcher must depend on second, third and even fourth hand sources to bear witness to past events," I smiled, "But that doesn't necessarily apply to all of us, for I was there through history, and I've seen the ages come and go like the sands of time. I was there when Caesar was assassinated by the Senate, and I was there when Cleopatra poisoned herself, and when Alexander of Macedon perished, I was there bearing witness to his final will and testament. I know what the history behind the texts looked like, and I've seen the faces of great men and women who left their mark upon the sands of time. I know history...because I lived it."

I see at once that my tactic has done the trick. People are sitting up more alertly and staring at me as if I were pulling their leg or telling a joke, or if maybe they just think I am crazy. At least the majority are no longer in danger of nodding off, so I continue with my well-rehearsed little spiel, knowing full well that not a single student here takes me seriously at my word, which is hardly too surprising as I hardly look my real age. I repeat my first line to emphasize it, all the while stressing the key tones like any good storyteller who wants his audience to hand by the edge of their seat waiting to hear my every pronouncement.

"I know history because I was there...but can you say the same thing to me?" I offer them in wry observation, "To me the Roman era, which lasted approximately a thousand years, is as clear in my mind as whatever it was that you did last summer. The later Byzantine era that followed the collapse of the Western Empire is just a few seasons ago as I reckon time, and it seems like only this morning that the Industrial Revolution was started. I keep wondering what my old friend Ben Franklin would think of what became of his democracy down south in America, or Albert Einstein and his ideas, and whatever became of that new guy, Edison? Is he still inventing new ways of building a better mousetrap, or a better mouse?"

I pause to see if anyone thought that was funny. It's a very brief pause to be certain, and then I move on rather than dwell on how outdated my sense of humor can seem at times, but I reflect to myself that the line would have killed them on Vaudeville a few generations back, before Television did the same thing to Vaudeville.

"And just so you don't think I'm purely Eurocentric," I continue, "I was there with King M'Lonsha, son of T'Kar, in the says when the Kingdom of Zimbabwe was still a going concern, before the Arab slave traders destroyed that fledgling civilization. I was there when the Yellow Emperor of the Chin Dynasty took poison in the form of an elixir of immortality, and when his advisors conspired to kill his eldest son and heir, thus insuring the collapse of everything the old boy had worked for. I was there when the Islands of Japan withstood the Mongol horde with the help of a great Tsunami, and I was there when Homer was telling tall tales about Troy and Mycenae. I was there for all of these events, all of these times and places, from Napoleon and his disastrous Russian campaign, right down to the lightning advances of General Patton. I stood with Hitler's generals when they conspired to assassinate their Fuhrer, and I was with Lee when he surrendered at Appomatox. I was there for the crowning of Nicolai, last of the Tsars, and I was there when Stalin ordered his purges and consigned tens of millions of innocent Soviet people to their deaths. I was there, a witness to history, and I know what really happened, the parts that did not get recorded in the more widely published journals. And how, may you ask, would I know these things? I know because I was there...but were you?"

I let them chew that one over for a first seconds until I see the inevitable lone hand waving in the background, that guy you always encounter in every new semester who thinks he's a bit smarter than his peers and is, the fellow who may not have a lot of friends but is always certain that he is right in his positions, who can't resist showing everyone that he does indeed know the answers. I nod to him and say, "Yes, Mr...?" as though I don't already know his identity or had not yet memorized the names and faces that I will have to contend with for this year.

"Um...Kowalvitz, Sir," the smart guy replies, "Ah...how can you say you were physically at these times and places? No offense, but..."

"You want to know how I could be there and bear witness to history?" I ask as if amused by the same question that I've heard at least a thousand times before. I point to my temples and say, "That's easy...I know because I was there...up here. I know because I did my homework, I read and researched these subjects and thoroughly familiarized myself with these cultures and the significant peoples who were recorded there. I used more than one source for everything, and then I sat down and internalized what I knew, what I thought I knew, and what the evidence was telling me. These are not necessarily the same things, nor are they different words coined to describe the same function. I examine history with a conscious eye to my already existing prejudices, and then I try to wipe my slate clean by pretending that I do not know what I believe I know. I often discover that what I know is something that I only think I know, but when the evidence tells me different then I am compelled to make a concession. I must objectively face the possibility that I am wrong, that history is wrong or incomplete, and that the written records of scholars are often chock full of errors. I then consider what I have learned and in a fresh light revise what I believe accordingly, and then I try to imagine that I actually lived then and there. The mind and imagination are very powerful tools if you learn how to harness and employ them. You must work to cultivate your own skills in that area if you want to be scholars yourself one day...or if you only mean to pass this course so you'll be one requirement closer to achieving a degree. I'm only here to prod you into learning, but once you seriously begin this class I will be relying less on the textbook than that you demonstrate for me that you are capable of doing your own research."

I let them stew over that one a few moments, then pointedly asked the usual trick questions that were meant to shake them up a bit, even if it might seem a bit cruel to take advantage of people raised in the usual school curricula, which, of course, is full of the very sort of errors that I was alluding to all along.

"Can anyone here tell me the date when the Great Pyramids were built in Egypt?" I asked as if the answer were the most obvious one in the book.

The Know-It-All naturally raised his hand and I had to smile at that, remembering what it had been like when I thought I knew everything, which was a heck of a lot longer ago than anyone even has a right to remember. I decided not to pick on him this time, however, and instead pointed at a young lady who looked about the right age to be a Freshman (of course I knew from her records that she was in her second year, nineteen years of age and definitely a Sophomore) and she stood up to give her answer, which was-quite naturally-  
the one almost everybody thinks is correct, but I know better.

"Around 2750 BCE," she replied, "Fourth Dynasty, beginning with King Cheops as recorded in the Book of the Dead..."

"Which copy and edition?" I asked back matter-of-factly.

"Um...excuse me?" she asked with obvious confusion.

"You are quite wrong in your answer," I replied, "But that is hardly your fault. Ninety-nine out of a hundred Egyptologists still subscribe to the idea that the 4th dynasty Pharaohs had the wherewithal to build the pyramids using simple tools and rudimentary geometric calculations. The truth is that there is absolutely no evidence whatsoever to support this widely-held supposition. I say supposition because the theory was conjured up long before the Pyramid had been fully explored by an Englishman named Carver, but a sworn deposition from a member of the same expedition contradicted his account and demonstrated how a cruel fraud was perpetrated upon the world of Archeology. Carver's contention that the Pyramid was constructed by Cheops was founded on a set of symbols inscribed upon a wall spelling out the name Khufu, which he interpreted as Cheops. Problem is that the word is a mistranslation and doesn't spell Khufu at all, and it was written in fresh ink. There are no other symbols anywhere within the central chamber of the pyramid, nor on any of the walls, nor is there carbon scoring such as would have been left by torches had they used the standard technology of that era for lighting. Instead the pyramid was illuminated by a series of copper mirrors and was constructed in such a way as to defeat the purpose for which X supposed it had been created. Can anyone tell me what that purpose was?"

Naturally the next to answer this said, "A burial place for the Pharaohs?"

"And what, may I ask, is the basis for your claiming it was a burial chamber?" I replied casually, not wanting to use the tone of condescending bravado that most genuine "know-it-alls" tend to use when lecturing those far less enlightened than themselves.

"Um...what other use could it have?" he asked, "I mean...why go to so much labor..."

"Exactly!" I pounced, "Why labor for more than twenty years if your intention is to create a burial chamber for the Pharaoh? Who knew if the old guy was going to even live that long? Life expectancy was something less than thirty years on the whole, and for all that the Pharaoh had the best medical and dental plan in the Kingdom, that didn't amount to a whole lot, let me tell you."

"Then...why was the pyramid built?" he asked reasonably.

"Now that is a very good question," I wagged a finger for emphasis, "Why would a people living close to five thousand years ago spend so much time constructing a pyramid? Never mind that it was an engineering wonder for its day and age, what motivated them to build it at the size and dimensions that it was, aligned with magnetic due north and set in the pattern of a star cluster that was visible in the heavens? Keep in mind that we are not talking about one pyramid but a whole series built near roughly the same time, four of which match the pattern of the Plieades as they could be observed many thousands of years ago. This is one of many riddles that has perplexed anyone who has done a serious study of the issue, but the one thing we can rule out categorically is the idea that the Pyramids were ever used as a tomb. There is nothing to substantiate this hypothesis, no bodies unearthed with their riches, no slaves and precious articles that can tell us about their lives and what motivated them to view eternity in the next world as more desirable than life as a mortal. In truth, this is one of many great mysteries that we will be exploring over the course of this semester, and you can each feel free to come up with your own answers."

I could see that they were uncomfortable with this, and one wag didn't even bother raising his hand as he asked, "Who do you think did build the pyramid if not the Egyptians, Professor? Aliens from outer space?"

"That is one possibility," I reply casually, "But until we have evidence that suggests that aliens built the pyramids, I suggest we begin our study by looking for more terrestrial sources. Remember, the point is not to assume anything, to take nothing for granted or as a basis for assumption. Prove everything down to the last detail with careful and methodical Epistemology and you might-MIGHT, I say-get through this course with a passing grade, depending on whether or not you can impress me with your understanding of the scientific method. Always remember-NEVER ASSUME-because, as the late Benny Hill once noted-when you assume you make an ass out of you and me."

This time I do get a laugh, which just goes to show that I'm not quite as over-  
the-hill and out of date as I sometimes imagine.

All at once I feel something in the air, a faint trembling sensation, and I cautiously sweep the crowd with a glance until my eyes seek her out, almost compelled by a will of their own. As slender as a blade with chestnut brown hair adorning her shoulders. I would have sworn that the seat that she now occupied had been empty mere seconds ago, but now I looked into her eternally youthful features and catch the twinkle in her golden eyes. Her hand is up so I pretend to just then notice her and say politely, "Yes Miss...?"

"You dismiss the 4th Egyptian dynasty as the possible source for the Pyramids that collectively form one of the Seven Great Wonders of Herodotus," she says in her faintly accented voice, her perfect pronunciation of each syllable causing eyebrows to rise among my largely Anglo-Gallic descended Canadian audience, "But what of some earlier, heretofore unknown civilization that could have done the ground work upon which the later Egyptians built their foundations?"

"Indeed?" I ask, "Have you evidence of the existence of such a civilization?"

"There is much anecdotal evidence to suggest it," she reasonably points out, "Recent discoveries calling into question the age of the Sphinx, for example, suggests that it was constructed at a time when rainwater fell more abundantly from the heavens. The lines of erosion that score the lion part of its body further suggests that the face of a man was later carved out of the original head, which might itself have been a lion's face, much as the early Egyptians appeared to worship totemic beasts instead of man-like gods, which was the later evolution."

"I was given to understand that those marks upon the body were the effect of weathering and flaking," I duly pointed out, playing the Devil's argument by raising what I already know to be a patently silly and Geologically naive assertion.

"In downward lines that more resemble erosion than weathering?" she gives me an indulgent smile and adds, "I would hardly think it likely, even given that there is now more salt on the exposed areas dug out from the sand dunes that all but swallowed it up during the Turkish occupation."

By this point I knew that she was demonstrating way too much inside knowledge for any first or second year college student, so I signaled her that we should end this word game before arousing any more suspicions from our audience, and she signaled back that she needed to talk with me urgently, so we both synchronized resonances and caused a timestop to be effected, then stepped out of the normal frame of time and left the room together, heading for my personal office.

To all outward appearance it seemed like nothing more than the usual cramped confines of a tenured professor, but once we passed beyond the threshold it became something else entirely, larger, more palatial and with symbols and glyphs inscribed over every wall and feature. My desk is converted to a far more ornate chair while shelves with books becomes wall tapestries and heirlooms. Similarly, my outer garments change from a sweater, vest and pants to the more traditional trousers and tunic that I laughingly refer to as my "work clothes." A cape extends from my shoulders to the floor and broad-rimmed boots replace my loafers, and I casually turn around to eye my lady companion, whose garments have similarly transformed from the blouse and midi-skirt of before to crimson dress that was far more regal and eye-catching. Of most prominent display is the egg-sized jewel pendant framed in a broad gold-rimmed broach dangling by a heavy gold chain that connects to the cape that she is wearing, hovering just between a perfect set of impressive breasts that I know (on good authority) are entirely real and not the product of artificial enhancement.

I'm not one who much stands much on ceremony, but I do make the odd exception, and this is one of those occasions, so I sink to one knee and bow my head in submission. After all, there are some jobs that come with a mandatory respect clause, especially when in the presence of your actual employer for the past ten centuries of recorded existence.

"My lady Reistas," I said fervently.

"Chakar," she greets me warmly, which I take to be a good sign as she appears to be in a serious mood, and that always means I go to work chasing the bad guys.

I chance to glance up at her and say, "You know how to make an entrance, as always."

"So speaks the master of dramatic entries and exits," she notes pleasantly, then her tone becomes grave, "We have a situation, Chakar, one that needs your immediate attention."

"Please don't take this the wrong way, my lady," I reply, "But...why me?"

"Because," the note of humor has returned to her voice, "You are the best qualified and most reliable that we have. That and the situation requires your usual tact and diplomacy, and it involves getting intimate with your old friends at the TPC."

I do not manage to restrain a faint groan, "Those guys again? My lady...come on!"

"I am quite serious about this, Chakar," Lady Reistas Calvinor Morningstar of the House of the Phoenix replies in a no-nonsense tone that gets my attention, "The fate of the continuum may well hang in the balance. We have been detecting an anomaly wave moving through the fabric of the Timestream in a lateral course that is disrupting the continuity of several distinctive timelines. We need to know what is causing this anomaly and how it may best be dealt with, and we need an answer soon before the disruption becomes a calamitous dichotomy. Several very august personages have likewise taken notice of the disruption, and this means that you will also need to work rather intimately with beings of a highly evolved nature..."

"In other words Gods and Demons of the Fourth Continuum," I muse reluctantly, "Terrific."

"I knew that you would understand," my Lady affirms in a manner that informs me that refusing this assignment is definitely NOT an option, "You must leave immediately since this phenomenon grows more disturbing by the hour. Do not hesitate to call for any support you might need, you will have the full backing of the Dominion behind you, and not just House Phoenix but Kraken, Chaemera and Griffin as well."

I repress the urge to whistle. All four Dominion Houses united in a common purpose? This really must be a serious piece of work if it's got them alarmed to this extent. I acknowledge accepting the assignment even as I raise one valid objection, "My lady knows that I am conducting a class at the moment..."

"Oh, that is hardly a problem for you, Chakar," she smiles in that way that reminds me of happier days when she was less burdened by the leadership of both the Dominion Council and House Phoenix, before cynicism and worldliness could taint the pure joy of the girl I once knew, long before the battle of Hastings, "Charles Grey will hardly miss a class while Chakar Shadowmane is busy saving reality as we know it. Leave your shadow behind and it will autonomously continue on in your absence. I will watch to maintain that your...preoccupation does not lead to another incident such as the one that befell us twenty years ago. I will also put in a word with Lady Garimel to insure that she does not summon you in an untimely manner."

I breathe a sigh of relief and say, "My thanks for both favors, my Lady. I don't suppose this business involves a certain misanthropic aquatransexual of our acquaintance?"

"If you mean Saotome," Lady Reistas replies, "If I say no then I would be lying."

"Just terrific," I say as I straighten up and look appropriately disgruntled, "I love easy assignments."

"You love a challenge as much as any of us and you know it," she informed me with a knowing smile that in no way reassured me.

"I also like quiet evenings with the wife and kids now and then," I replied, "Only with my family that's asking a lot." Then I close my eyes and concentrate, feeling my Starstone pulse in answer to my need, and then I feel the familiar effect of splitting off from myself, creating a time-clone who will temporarily assume my normal duties. I feel him step to one side, my Shadow image given independent form and movement, yet linked to me by the energy signature of my Starstone's resonance.

Thus divided (both literally and figuratively) I then turned to my Lady and say, "How do I find this anomaly that's causing all the excitement?"

"Follow the trail through time which centers on a place known as Nerima, Japan," she tells me simply, "You will find the way on your own from there. The rest is up to you to discern since you are fulfilling the role of both our representative and chief detective."

"Hey, it could be worse, Buddy," my counterpart remarks with my own sardonic smirk turned in my direction, "At least you're not the one who has to explain things to Gari."

"True," I say, "This could be a suicide mission...for you, Bud. Take care of the home life until I get back."

"Sure thing," my counterpart replied, "And send me a postcard while you're at it. Been a while since I last toured Nerima."

"Me, it couldn't be long enough," I admit, then I will my Starstone to take me where I need to be right now, hoping against hope that this was not going to turn into another one of **those** encounters with a certain fellow by the name of...

Continuum #10243469

"RANMA, THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!"

"What?" came a half a dozen responses to this chorused accusation, issuing as it did from at least three of the Akanes and two of the Ryogas currently present.

"This...is going to take some getting used to," one of the Nabikis remarked in rather droll humor.

"You think?" her counterpart asked standing next to her.

"I'd say we're going to need a program to get this thing sorted out, myself," the third Nabiki observed in a characteristic to make some rational order out of chaos.

"Oh my!" said three Kasumis in chorus as they looked around at the normal-  
seeming neighborhood, then one of them ventured, "This does look like our old neighborhood, and it seems fairly ordinary..."

"You know what they say about appearances, Sugar," an Ukyo opined, looking around uneasily as if suspecting that another version of her was about to be dropped into their group at any moment.

The same thought was occurring to Xian Pu just then and she also voiced the common assent, "Just how many different versions of ourselves are we going to run into here? And what about these...children?"

"Who are you calling a child here, lady?" the boy with the brown pigtail shot back, "Looks to me more like you're the same age I am."

"Do try to have at least a little respect for your elders, Son," Mu Tsu advised, "From the looks of things we do appear to be all sharing the same boat."

One version of Ranma had clearly had enough of all this and put his fingers to his mouth before giving a very loud whistle that got everyone's immediate attention.

"All right now!" he asserted, "We're going around in circles and getting nowhere fast this way, so why don't we all separate into smaller groups and at least attempt to make some kind of sense out of everyone whose present. Now, we're all pretty much strangers here, right? Except for you guys who all seem to be hailing from the same dimension..."

"Pretty authoritative tone you got there, guy," the Nabiki nearest to him remarked, "You thinking about running for office?"

"Not really," that Ranma replied, "I'm just tired of not knowing who everybody is and getting all confused about who's saying what to whom here."

"Heh, I can't fault your reasoning there," the Ranma in the lab coat remarked, turning to his counter parts and saying, "We don't we at least make introductions before any more of us turn up? I'll even go first since my group was the one that was first drawn through the parallel dimension circuit. My name is Saotome Ranma, Doctor of Philosophy, Applied Physics, Mathematics, Biology and Medicine. My team here consists of my sister Ukyo, my half-brother, Ryoga, my younger sister Ranko, my fianc e Akane, her sisters Nabiki and Kasumi, our good friend Mu Tsu, and of course...Xian Pu of the Joketsuzoku."

"So, I am on your team, am I?" Xian Pu remarked with a raised eyebrow and a cautious appraisal of the others, including the boy from her own village.

"Giving yourself titles instead of us, Sugar?" Ukyo grinned in good-natured humor, "Or you forgetting the rest of us have degrees of one kind or another?"

"Let's just try and keep it simple for now, okay?" said the Ranma with a monogrammed "S" on his shirt, "Saotome Ranma, Freshman student at Furinkan High, Class C, and this is my best buddy, Akane, as well as my other friends, Ukyo..."

"That's Iron Chef," said the Ukyo wearing armor.

"Right," her would-be boyfriend amended, "Shampoo, the Velvet Pussy..."

"Nihao!" the purple furred cat-woman said brightly.

"Velvet Pussy?" Xian Pu remarked with a most disquieted expression.

"Um...well," this version of Ranma went on, "Kodachi over there hardly needs any introductions..."

"But of course," said the Kodachi wearing sleek (and highly revealing) high-tech attire, "And this is my faithful pet and lab assistant, Tendo Nabiki."

"Charmed," said the Nabiki standing beside her self-proclaimed Mistress.

"And these three..." Ranma hesitated as he indicated the odd assembly glaring at him from his left shoulder.

"I am Hachuman's favored son, Kuno Tatewaki, the Silver Samurai," boasted the Kuno in gleaming armor.

"Dark Mallard," said the Mu Tsu wearing the duck costume, "And this is the Incredible Oni, Hibiki Rig..."

"Ryoga confused," the yellow-skinned giant scratched his head with meaty fingers, "Why so many here look like people Ryoga knows? And Ryoga not know that many people..."

"You're not the only one confused," said the Ryoga who was NOT holding a pig, "How did all of this get started?"

"Yes," said the Ranma dressed up as a Samurai, "That is what we all are wondering at this moment."

"It would seem, my Lord, as though a powerful enchantment has taken all of us from different worlds and brought us together for some as-yet undefined purpose," said the Kimono-clad Nabiki beside him.

"I am wondering how we may all be returned to our own world," said the Akane beside her, "This all began when Lord Ranma presented himself to our father..."

"But surely, Akane-chan, you do not suspect him of being the one responsible for this enchantment?" asked a kimono-wearing Kasumi.

"Enough," said the bare-chested Ranma as he glared at the others and asserted, "I am Ranma Eonius Gaius Tiberius Saotome, and I know nothing of what wizardry brought us here, only that my Xian-Pu was restored to me by your timely intervention, to say nothing of the miraculous healing of the lady Nocturna that I witnessed with mine own eyes. This passing strange affair allowed me to have my vengeance upon the cruel Governor, yet what has become of my mother and father, lord Tendo and those other unfortunates whom the Romans had crucified? They were with us in the last world, yet I spy them not here present."

"Good point that, Father," said the burly black-haired giant beside him, turning to his redheaded sibling and saying, "We have all been drawn not just from our different worlds but from different eras, and I like not the smell of Sorcery that attends these strange goings on."

"Not sorcery," corrected the blue-robed Ranma, "Sorcery traditionally involves the summoning of demons and other supernatural powers. A Wizard trains himself to become a power unto himself, to tap directly into the Forces that govern all reality and to channel them in accordance with desire and need. That's been drilled into me from day one by my Academy teachers..."

"Right," one of the Nabikis acknowledged, "We'll argue semantics later, what I'm curious to know is why nobody else from your world got dragged along with us."

"A fair point that," acknowledged the toga-clad Nabiki beside her, "Why only one of you? Is there not a counterpart of us in your world who would share space with you, Handsome one?"

Gaius frowned a bit while the Wizard Ranma looked somewhat nervous, "Er...well...no offense, but the Tendo Nabiki I know is a specialist in Numerology and Accounting magic...a Financial Wizard, in other words, who charges you for everything whether you ask her for the time of day or her opinions about the weather."

"Heh," one of the Akanes mused, "That makes sense when you think about it."

"You said it," the Akane next to her agreed, earning another sour look from the counterpart to her sister.

"Okay," another of the Nabikis spoke up, "We've sorted out who our doubles are here, now how about someone giving us the lowdown on these next generation types who claim to be our kids from the future?"

"Guess that's our cue, Sis," the purple haired boy remarked, then nodded to the others and said, "I'm Saotome Kinma..."

"Saotome Arashi," the black haired girl at his side replied, "We're the offspring of Doctors Saotome Ranma and Saotome Xian Pu, whom you've just met here..."

"Hi," said the brown-haired, pigtailed boy, "My name's Saotome Li Kung, and if you want to know more of that, then it's going to cost you."

More than one of the Nabikis arched an eyebrow over that.

"Guess we're up," said the dark haired boy holding the green power ring, "My name is Vidori, and I'm the son of Ranma and Kuno Kodachi from my timeline...and these are my half-sibs, Tetsui, Akai, Murai...and that's our best friend, Hibiki Kiiro."

"Kiiro?" Akane blinked, glancing up at the tall, yellow-skinned giantess with green hair who was smiling back in a friendly manner.

The Ranma wearing a school uniform turned to the Ranma with an "S" on his shoulder and said, "You named your kids for different colors of the rainbow?"

"Uh...actually, it does kind of make sense and sounds like something I might do," that Ranma scratched the back of his head in an easy-going manner, "Green, Iron, Red, Purple and Yellow...I can see how that might work out. Of course...the idea that they all have different mothers..."

"You mean like...we're gonna have to share you, Sugar?" the armored Ukyo growled, "No way!"

"Shampoo no see why she no be only one to bear Airen babies," pouted the purple-  
furred Amazon with the cat-like attributes.

"And I don't see why you have to be talking in that silly sing-song manner either, Mom," replied the other cat-like purple-furred teenager now present, "Besides, I think it's really neat growing up with more than one mother and a bunch of half-sibs in our litter. Besides, you all seem to be getting along just fine in our time."

"And if you were to ask me, then I would say that all of this is some kind of Lotus dream," said the teenager wearing the Ninja costume, "I do not normally share my name with strangers, but if you must know, I was born of the clan of Saotome, and my name is Rikona. I am more commonly known as Stormrider, and I would prefer it if you referred to me as that since many of you appear to enjoy such curious nicknames."

"Um...pardon me for asking this," said the Kimono-clad Nabiki, "But...are you a son or a daughter of House Saotome?"

"Yes," Rikona Stormrider replied from behind the mask that he...or she was wearing, giving the impression of a smile as he (or she) added, "That all depends on when you ask me."

"Heh, whatever that means," the redhead next to the Ninja snorted, "I'm Sonja, and as my brother Conan here can tell you that we're the children of Gaius Saotome and the lady Xian Pu. Don't know about any of our other clan members or immediate relations, including our half-siblings and cousins. Everything seems to be in a bloody thrice-damned haze anyway..."

"Easy, Sister," Conan asserted, turning to the other Romanesque characters present and saying, "Know this about your as-yet unwritten future...the House of Saotome is in ascendance even as the flame of Rome burns dim on our home islands. Each of you has a role to play in the coming struggles, my aunts and ladies, Agrippina, Messelina, Cassandra and Nocturna..." he paused and glanced around, "Where is Aunt Urika? Seems passing strange not to find her numbered with your flock, Father."

"Urika?" Gaius repeated, "She...is no longer with us. We lost her at the pass of Roan..."

"Then she has not returned yet from...?" Conan stopped himself, "No...it is better I not speak of this as yet. Clearly events have yet to bring her back to her fold, but know that she is very much still accounted among the living."

"She lives?" Gaius reacted as though thunderstruck, turning to exchange troubled looks with the Xian Pu who stood ever near to his shoulder.

The blue-clad Ranma turned and said, "That just leaves you, Kid. Mind telling me who you are, or am I supposed to guess about that?"

"Er...well..." this youth scratched the back of his head and smile lopsidedly, "That's...kind of a long story, and if you don't already know by now, Pop, then maybe I should just let you figure it out..."

"Puck," one of the Saotome girls spoke up, the one named Akai.

"Huh?" the purple-haired boy reacted, "What did you call me?"

"I think you look like that character from that old Shakespeare play, the Puck," Akai grinned, "Am I wrong about that?"

The boy frowned, "That's the stupidest name that anyone's ever given me, and I'm half Amazon! No, I'm Saotome Ambrosias, if you absolutely have to know about it, but my village name is Lo-Nar. I guess I am kind of a freebooted sort at heart, but nobody's ever confused me for some damned Fairy, even with my Jusenkyo curse...oh hell..."

A crackle of thunder overhead made everyone flinch, and then the first droplets of rain began to fall over everyone, even as one of the Akane's remarked, "Hey, that's weird...wasn't the sky like totally clear a few minutes ago?"

"Trust me," said one Akane in resignation, "You get used to this after a while."

"And me without my umbrella watch," winced Ranko, who flinched at the inevitable soaking they were about to receive, "Maybe we should take some shelter and...huh?"

"Say what?" asked Ranma as he stared at some of their companions, who had immediately begun changing form before their very eyes.

"Fascinating," said the Ranma in a lab-coat, eyeing the Ranma with a monogrammed "S" and saying, "Red hair...and...are those real?"

"Unfortunately yes," said a slightly soggy pigtailed girl as her outfit adjusted its unstable molecular formation to fit snugly with her new proportions.

"This...is par for the course so far," said the Samurai-armored Ranma, who also appeared to have noticeably shrunk in size and dimensions, as had the Gladiator Ranma next to "him" and the blue-clad Wizard Ranma.

"BWEEE!" complained a little black pig that now stood where formerly there had been the Incredible Oni, surrounded by a pair of purple pants many sizes too large for a normal person.

"Just terrific," chorused the Ninja and the Purple haired-um-blue haired girl beside him before exchanging glances.

"What the heck is going on here?" asked Ranko as she stared from one transformed person to the next, "Hey...some of you guys look like me!"

"You think so?" said the blue-clad Wizard, who was now sporting a pair of wings from his back, not to mention a pair of butterfly-like antennae.

"Meow?" asked a small white-and-purple Kitten who was presently trying to climb out of the bare chitton that a certain Amazon had formerly been wearing.

"Oh well," said one of the two cat-girls as she stared at her now-white fur, "I always thought I looked better in silver..."

"At least we can now tell you two apart, Sugar," said the Iron Chef as she studied the transformed teenagers, including the ridiculous guy in the duck costume, who had now been replaced with an actual duck, which she thought a distinct improvement.

"Just when you think you can sort things out without a scorecard..." one Nabiki sighed when her counterpart handed her an electric note-pad. She glanced at the notations made on the display screen then said, "You have got to be kidding..."

"Doc" Saotome RanmaSaotome Ranma"Super" Ranma Doctor Xian PuTendo Nabiki"Kawaii" Akane "Monk" Saotome RyogaTendo Akane"Black Rose" Kodachi "Long" Saotome UkyoHibiki Ryoga"Slave Drive" Nabiki "Pat" Saotome Ranko"Velvet Pussy" Shampoo "Ham" Tendo Nabiki"Iron Chef" Ukyo "Tommy" Mu Tsu"Silver Samurai" Kuno Tendo Akane"Incredible Oni" Ryoga Doctor Tendo Kasumi"Dark Mallard" Mousse

-  
-

Saotome ArashiSaotome Li KungSaotome Vidori Saotome KinmaSaotome Tetsu Saotome Akai Saotome Murai Hibiki Kiiro

-  
-

Saotome Ranma (Feudal Version)Ranma Eponius Gaius Tiberius Saotome Tendo NabikiXian Pu Saotome Tendo AkaneAgrippina Celestes Tendo Tendo KasumiMesselina Hermine Tendo Cassandra Vesta Tendo Nocturna Tendo

-  
-

Saotome Rikona StormriderConan Saotome Sonya Saotome -  
-

Saotome Ranma (Wizard)?

-  
-

Saotome Ambrosias Lo-Nar?

Nabiki turned and looked at her counterpart, "You're sure about all this?"

The Nabiki how affected to a slavish devotion to the armored Kodachi shrugged and replied, "As near as I have been able to determine so far with the information that's at hand..."

"Um...pardon me for being the one who has to point this out to the rest of you guys," said one of the Akanes, "But doesn't it seem to you like we ought to be encountering more people by now? I mean, we've been here for, what? Fifteen minutes already?"

"Never mind that, Imotochan," one Kasumi asserted, "I believe we should all take cover now before we get thoroughly soaked by all of this rain..."

"Good thinking, Oneechan," the Nabiki nearest to her agreed, pointing down the street and saying, "The dojo should be right there around the corner, and-  
assuming that there are other versions of us living there, we ought to at least be able to take some shelter and get into some dry clothing, provided we can talk Daddy into not having another one of his panic attacks."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Doc Ranma shrugged, "The rest of you guys with me?"

There was some grumbling but no dissent, and so the party made their way in the required direction, only to pause when they got to the actual gates surrounding the compound, at which point they all collectively halted and stared in disbelief, for what they saw there actually defied all rational description.

"Oh my," said the toga-clad and kimono-wearing Kasumi, joining their more normal dressed counterpart as they stared up...and up...at a sight that was quite daunting.

"O-O-Oneechan?" stammered a suddenly quite nervous Nabiki, representing the majority sentiment of her counterparts and the five equally stunned Akanes.

"Well...this is one for the record books," remarked Super Ranma in matter-of-  
fact acceptance, being the most accustomed to weird sights of any of those present.

Very slowly the fifty-four-foot-tall giantess currently working on a block-sized stew pot turned and cast a gaze at the party as if only just noticing their presence, and then in a voice several octaves louder than any normal person could voice she said, "OH MY...COMPANY? BUT THE RESTAURANT ISN'T QUITE OPEN JUST YET. DO YOU THINK YOU COULD WAIT A HALF HOUR UNTIL I'M DONE STIRRING THE MISO?"

There was a silent pause before the normal-seeming Ranma could remark, "Well...I suppose that beats Ho-Ho-Ho anyday. Anybody else here feel like eating?"

A few hands were tentatively raised, including one "Bwee" as if the notion were being taken under serious consideration...

Time Central HQ Residential Wing Saotome Residence

"[...And so the handsome prince, having at long last won his true love's hand in marriage, settled down in the hopes of establishing a happy life together studying the martial arts and raising a family together that they could cherish and love forever,]" Ranko sighed and took a breath before adding, "[But, sadly, it was not to end quite so happily for the both of them. You see...a shadow grew in the mind of the heroine, Akane, a darkness that no one saw growing there until it became too late and the darkness swallowed her and changed her into a demon rather than the loving, caring person that she wanted to be...]"

"[Really?]" Meiko asked with rounded eyes, "[Gee, how awful! Was the Prince able to turn her back to the way she used to be?]"

"[Um...not exactly,]" Ranko admitted, "[At first the process was so gradual that hardly anyone noticed that there was a difference, but over time she became much more violent and bad tempered, and then one day she simply lost it altogether, went berserk and tried to kill the Prince and all the rest of her family. She wounded him very deeply...but a gallant knight came to his rescue and took the worst of the attack upon herself, sparing the Prince a mortal blow that she took in his place...and her name was Kuonji Ukyo...]"

"[The same one who was in love with the Prince?]" Meiko asked with a much-  
astonished expression.

"[The very same,]" Ranko said sadly, "[She loved the Prince so much that she was willing to stand aside and allow him to marry the Princess, but when she saw that the Princess was possessed by a demon she tried to warn the Prince, only to sacrifice her life in order to save his, which made the Prince so very sad that he nearly died himself that day if not for the kindly Doctor Tofu, who nursed him back to health after they subdued the demon-possessed Princess. She had to be locked away in a tower for her own safety, but the King was never the same man after seeing what became of his daughter. It was his own fault for insisting that the Princess and the Prince should marry, you see, and guilt began to consume him when he saw how unhappy he had made his family, and the price that had been paid by the brave knight, Ukyo. Others would begin to whisper behind his back that the King had been very foolish and was the one who had caused his family to be cursed by angering the Queen of the Amazons, dishonoring her great granddaughter. Either that or another demon cursed the Princess to go crazy with rage and malice, and so she paid the price for his foolish insistence, while her children paid the price by losing both their father and their mother.]"

"[But what happened to the Prince?]" Meiko asked, "[Didn't he recover?]"

"[He got better,]" Ranko hesitated before adding, "[But he never completely recovered from his loss and grief over what the Princess had done to Ukyo, and what he had done to the Princess of the Amazons by his refusal of her love. The Prince began to believe that he was cursed with more than the ability to turn into a girl when he got wet, he started to think that everyone around him was in danger because of him, and so he fled the Kingdom and went into exile, and for twenty years he wandered the land trying to find redemption and forgiveness for the choices he had made. Twenty years of wandering and fighting as a lone and lonely knight, twenty years in which he grew hard and lean and became the very thing he feared becoming, a Black Knight of Justice who did good where he could and moved on, never at home anyplace and always a stranger to any country where he traveled.]"

"[But he was still the toughest warrior around, right?]" Meiko asked with childish fascination.

"[Oh yeah,]" Ranko nodded, "[Nobody was tougher than him, let me tell you, and he won battle after battle as the years went by, even won the favor of a God, who made a deal with the Knight to insure that he would always have the strength it took to win his battles. The Prince became known and feared by his enemies in many Kingdoms, but still he could not forget or forgive himself for the things that had been done back in the Kingdom. He might very well have wandered forever if not for the sister of the Princess, who was Witch, you know, and very gifted with magic powers that enabled her to find him while in exile. The Witch, you see, was in love with the Prince and had been betrothed to him after the death of her sister. Pride would not allow her to admit these things to the Prince for many years, but she chose to willingly follow him in spite of his protests, to stand at his side and offer him wise counsel, and never did the Witch ask anything in return for the favor of her company, which was not her usual way as anyone who had known her before could well have told you.]"

"[But I thought the Witch was greedy and liked to charge people for stuff?]" Meiko wondered.

"[Yes, but that was before she became a Witch and learned that there is a price for everything, including the use of people,]" Ranko winked, "[The Witch is still greedy sometimes, but now she also does things to genuinely help people and only charges those who can afford to pay for her services. She's really a very nice person, just not that easy to get to know if you're an outsider. She cares a lot about family, even when she chooses not to show how much she cares, so you just have to look closely and wait for those moments when she's not on her guard and hiding her true feelings.]"

"[Wow,]" Meiko absorbed this briefly before asking, "[And Aunt Nabiki is the Witch...and...Dad is the Prince in your story?]"

"[You got it, Sport,]" Ranko winked, "[This really is a true story...except the parts I made up, like they're being Princes and Princesses. It's really the story of our clan, the Tendo family, that I'm describing here, and why our Mom got sick and is no longer with us, and why you were sent to live with a cousin who adopted you. It wasn't because our parents loved us any less, it's because our Dad had to go and find himself on a very long quest until he could put the shadows of the past behind him and settle down to marry our Aunt Nabiki.]"

"[And Dad loves Aunt Nabiki?]" Meiko asked with surprise, "[Even if she's a greedy witch who liked to use people when they were little?]"

"[Oh yeah,]" Ranko chuckled, "[Pop likes Mom, there's no question about that! Although they tease each other a lot, you can tell they'd walk through fire in an instant to stand by each other's side, and they've been through real hell together. Most of the time, when they really start teasing each other, it's like I just wish they'd go and rent a hotel room...ah." She belatedly remembered the age of her sibling and hastily amended, "That is to say...they like each other very much, and sometimes they can be real mushy about it...]"

"[Hey, you don't have to pretend with me,]" Meiko assured her, "[I know what sex is, and I've seen couples acting like they wanna play rough together. Don't know what all the fuss is about, though, it looks messy and awfully painful...]"

"[Ah...right,]" Ranko winced, "[I keep forgetting you were raised in America...]"

"[It's not that,]" Meiko insisted, "[It's just...I live in a really tough neighborhood, and you kinda learn stuff that grown-ups don't think you oughta. I don't mean on television neither, though I have seen Dad watch dirty videos late at night when he thinks that I'm asleep, and there's this collection of magazines he hides under his bed...]"

"[Ah...right,]" Ranko briefly combed her fingers through her forelocks and grumbled, "You should have been raised by the Miroku, they'd have taught you better..."

"[What's a Miroku?]" Meiko asked, comprehending just enough Japanese words to get the gist of that statement.

Brief panic widened Ranko's eyes as she contemplated the reaction of her parents upon hearing that Meiko had overheard the word "Miroku." She hastily said, "[Never mind...that's a word you'll come to understand in time, like a lot of Japanese that you're gonna need a crash-course in, Sport. The point is...you're a Saotome now, and that means getting used to a lot of stuff that kids your age seldom have to learn about, like Anything Goes Martial Arts.]"

Meiko excitement increased, "[You mean I get to learn martial arts? Neato! Dad only let me have a few lessons, said I might need 'em to defend myself, but nothing like what you've been describing...]"

"[Trust me, Sis,]" Ranko assured, "[Around here Martial Arts aren't just a way of life, they're almost a religion. Of course Mom might decide to train you in her Ryu as a Lore Master. Those Amazon arts she learned are pretty tricky and take a lot of time and study. I know a little bit about it through absorption, but Mom...she lives and breathes the stuff and you won't believe the things she can do when she puts her mind to it. She can be pretty subtle at times, but when she really cuts loose...watch out!]"

"[Can she turn people into frogs and stuff like a real witch?]" the younger girl asked brightly.

"[Well, that all depends,]" Ranko poked the younger girl in the nose and was rewarded with a girlish chuckle, "[If you do something to really tick her off, maybe, like little girls who don't go to sleep when they're supposed to. After all, your Big Sis has to get ready for bed herself if I'm gonna make it on time for my Academy courses.]"

"[But I don't feel tired yet,]" Meiko complained, "[And I wanna hear more stories! That last one was so sad...]"

"[Sometimes real-life's like that,]" Ranko shook her head in faint wonder, "[Where do you get the energy? I've been talking for an hour and I feel like I need a break...]"

"[Why do older folks always say that?]" Meiko huffed, then abruptly changed the subject by asking, "[What's Dad really like? I mean...besides looking big and scary...]"

"[Pop?]" Ranko sighed, "[Pop's quite a character, no one else like him. When he's mad or in the mood to start trouble he can be like walking death, unstoppable, totally fearless. Most of the time, though, he's just this guy with a lot of history inside him who tries to do right by most people and wants to make a good father for the both of us. He'd never stop trying for anything to make us both happy, and he's not afraid to show that he has feelings where it counts. Don't let him put you off, Meiko-chan, he may come across like Darth Vader at times, but he's really a hero, the best in the whole business.]"

"[I guess,]" Meiko said reluctantly, "[But does he really care? I mean...if he wandered for twenty years trying to find himself...]"

"[Well, Twenty years for him, about twelve years for you and me, anyway,]" Ranko corrected, then sighed, "[I wish I could explain things better, but English ain't my first language. I just wish you knew more Japanese...]"

**AFFIRMATIVE.**

Ranko blinked then glanced down at herself, "What?"

**This Unit perceived a request for change in subject status for subject designate Saotome Meiko,** came the voice within her mind as her pendant pulsed softly, **Does subject with to initiate download?**

"Uh...well...yeah, but..." Ranko began to say when she felt the energy level building up within the pendant.

"[Who are you talking to?]" Meiko asked, only to get round-eyed as she started to feel a warmth pass through her, and then all at once words and images filled her mind in a sudden explosion of sparks and whirling images that caused her eyes to briefly become glassy.

"Meiko-chan?" Ranko blinked, then she impulsively reached out and shook her suddenly motionless sister, "[Meiko-chan! Are you all...?]"

The younger girl blinked her eyes then focused her gaze upon Ranko before saying, "That was...weird. I seem to be fine now, but..."

"Huh?" Ranko blinked again, "You mean...you understand me?"

"Kind of...it just felt...I dunno...like I had a headache for a few seconds there," Meiko replied, "But it's gone...and I feel a whole lot better."

Ranko let out the breath that she had been holding and sighed, "Don't scare me like that, Kid! Do you have any idea what kind of trouble I'd be in if Mom and Pop found out I let anything bad happen to you? To say nothing of the fact that you're my sister..."

"Yeah...I know that now," Meiko smiled, "The pendant told me."

"The...what?" Ranko blurted.

"That thing you got around your neck that's hiding under your shirt," Meiko pointed, "Is it magic? It talked to me like it was alive or something..."

"Yeah...well..." Ranko fished it out from under her shirt then showed it off to Meiko, "This is kind of important to me. It's an enchanted jewel that's keyed to this really powerful force known as Yggdrasil, which is kind of like a super-  
big computer controlled by the Gods that they use to regulate space and time and...well, that's kind of a different story to share with you sometime. The point is, it's magic and has the power to take me anywhere I want in space and time, provided I know where I'm going. Otherwise it does it on its own and the process sometimes seems kind of random."

Meiko touched the jeweled pendant then noticed the object suspended on the chain with it and asked, "What's this? It looks kinda like a hammer..."

"That's because it is a hammer, Silly," Ranko smiled, "A gift of the Gods that I can sometimes use to summon up a weapon to beat up the bad guys with. I don't call on it very often, though, since I'm mostly trained in unarmed fighting..."

"Wow," Meiko exclaimed, "Can I hold it?"

"Maybe when you're older," Ranko chuckled softly and put the necklace suspending both pendant and Hammer totem back where it belonged, hanging form her neck between her breasts, "There was a time when I needed the pendant just to remain stable and fixed in this timeline, but after I got the hammer I was grounded in reality, so as long as I keep both of them I don't have to worry about fading into a phantom."

"Really?" Meiko asked, "And why is that?"

"Some other time, Kid, I promise," Ranko winked before standing up, "Now try and get some rest, will you? I need to fix a snack and work out in the dojo a bit before I kick in for the night. Time enough to give you the grand tour of the place later, so...close your eyes and be a good little Saotome, and don't let any perverts visit you during the night."

"Perverts?" Meiko made a face, "Don't you mean like Monsters under the bed or something?"

"Not in our family, little Cherry Blossom," Ranko chuckled, then went to the door and paused before exiting to say, "Remember that old family Demon I mentioned? The one who trained our grandfathers? Well, he kind of helped to raise me, and I'm grateful for that and everything, but when I actually get around to telling you the story of Grandfather Happosai, well...you're probably going to think I'm making it all up again. Anyway, see you later, and sleep tight."

Ranko shook her head once she had taken her leave of her sister's new room and murmured under her breath, "Kids...where do they get it from? I'm starting to think the Old Man was more of a saint than I'd have believed if I was anything like that around him. Oh well," she stretched out, "Definitely need to hit the bags and work the kinds out. That meal can wait until after I've unknotted my muscles."

She headed off towards the dojo, not hearing the door open partially behind her as Meiko peeked out down the hallway and waited for her sister to disappear before creeping out to follow her, making as little sound as she could manage since she was dying to see what Ranko was like doing martial arts. That was way more cool and exciting than trying to sleep when she was not sleepy...

Unknown to her, however, a pair of eyes appeared at the end of the hallway, and then a soft, wheezy voice chuckled to itself, "So, that's my long-lost great-  
great granddaughter, eh? Might've known that boy would turn out another spitfire, the spitting image of Akane. Oh yes, I can see real possibilities with this one, and if she's half the pupil her sister was when she was that age..."

A diminutive shadow stalked out into the night, following the child who was following the trail of her older sister, waiting for just the right moment before making his presence known to his future pupil even as other forces were converging throughout the Multiverse as events took their own dramatic turn towards a destiny beyond mortal imagination...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Calorie Counting for the Holidays: shadowmane

What is going on here and who is stalking whom at this point? What force or personality is behind this convergence of various Ranmas, and how is Ranko to become involved in these disturbing events? Find out in the next disturbing chapter: "Shadow and Smoke," or, "Attack of the 54 foot Kasumi!" Be there!

X -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: ~ All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	8. Chapter 8

RanWarp08

Realities Warped

By Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi and other artists too numerous to mention.  
The Character of Shadowmane, however was created by me as my kind-of alter ego,  
so-needless to say-use of him by anyone but me is highly restricted and will tend to get you "listed"...)

Chapter Eight.

Lord of the Thing

Continuum #00019243

Sometimes it's depressing work having to cruise the various timelines and check out their alternate histories in order to determine the state of the Universe I happen to be visiting at the moment. Not every world is a place of sunshine and delight, after all, and in some place history took a definite turn south and wound up much like the ruins of the house that I was presently standing amid. You get that sometimes in this business, a place where people well fortuned in one reality got the short stick in another.

In plainest terms, I had seen the Tendo dojo in much better days than this, not abandoned and half-fallen into disrepair, entire rooms left naked to the elements, their contents long ago looted and the rest of the place boarded up and marked for demolition. Most times the Japanese had the good sense and taste to burn a place like this to the ground rather than to allow it to remain and haunt the neighborhood, but these are not usual times in the universe in which I am presently residing a guest. After all, it's one of those downward spiraling realities where Chaos hold sway and Order is in full tactical retreat. It's universes like this one that usually wind up wearing a "CONDEMNED" sign, and the Gods thankfully consign it to the oblivion of hapless and pathetically retrograde timelines.

I began my search here because the Greystar informed me that this was the source of that percussion wave in the Temporal sphere that I had tracked to events in another rather peculiar timeline. On that universe the general population of the Earth was living under a Tripartite Imperial system, one that encouraged the development of the mind and body as ideals for a stable society, rather than repress them with mind-numbing television programming and advertising dreck, which tended to leave most persons in a more vegetative state of existence. Controlling the masses through Intelligence rather than Stupidity was a rather novel concept I had to admit, not to mention an extremely clever idea since intelligent people are MORE, rather than less, easy to manipulate, just as long as you know how to misdirect things so that these really smart people behave just like you want them to act, a feat made all the more simple because smart people inevitably believe that they are too intelligent to be so manipulated.

Unless, of course, such a society is ruled by an Uber-intelligent elite that understands the way smart people think and can craft media strategies aimed to appeal to the intellect instead of the lowest common denominator, as was the case on the Timeline I tend to call "home" in my more allegorical moments.

If anything, dumb people are even harder to predict than the smart ones, but such a society of genius does have one rather disturbing downside, namely the tendency to produce the rare "Spark" whose intellect goes off the charts into the realm of pure imagination. On some worlds those guys tend to get labeled as "Geeks," "Nerds" and "Mad Scientists," and they are so far ahead of the curve into sheer mental brilliance that they are often seen as weird or peculiar, real oddballs. You tend to make the mistake of thinking that they're harmless...right up until they start **inventing** things, and that's when the fun really starts to happen.

On such a world a Genius named Saotome Ranma built a device that was intended to map the Temporal field surrounding the planet, but as is often the case with "Super-Geniuses" like him, he ignored the nagging and obvious question of what happens when an observer gains the ability to affect what is being observed? Someone should have clued him in that Quantum Theory maintains that the very act of observation ALWAYS has an effect upon the thing which you are observing.

I remember Rene Descarte making the same fundamental error once while we were sharing a drink together in that tavern. I liked Rene for a lot of reasons, but mostly I was keeping an eye on him since thinkers like him tend to have a wide-  
sweeping effect on the people who read up on his ideas and draw their own conclusions. For reasons that escape me now, I chose not to correct him when he made that fundamental error of believing that observing something is not the same as interaction. For decades to follow many Scientists were mislead by his fundamental observation of an imagined separation between "Objective/Observable" reality and the "Subjective" world of personal interaction. Billiard balls on a table is what he used in his analogy, and have I been more alert to catch him up on that I would have pointed out the fact that these balls-supposedly unable to affect one another unless an outside force brought them together-were both resting on the same table.

Of course, then I might have had to explain to him the concept of **layering,** the fact that separate levels of billiard tables can be stacked one on top of another with only the thinnest separation allowing the balls to move in only one direction. As long as the balls operate on the same table they can only affect one another...but if something drops down from, say, an upper level and lands on the table, then it can affect the other two balls dynamically, and so on and so on, until you get an avalanche of balls dropping through a succession of imaginary tables.

That appeared to be what happened here...though I was dubious of the notion that as simple a device as this version of Saotome had crafted could by itself create such a devastating wave effect. No, the real culprit had to be a force that took advantage of the hole that was created in a localized timefield. Something powerful had leaped from its own dimension to the realm of the Genius Saotome and rode the timewave like a professional surfer, sweeping up selected individuals in its wake and depositing them on a series of alternate worlds, effectively controlling the direction of the wave as it cut a lateral course through the Multiverse from one timeline to another.

But what could have done this, and what could have such power? The ruins of the Tendo house gave me few enough answers so I started to ponder as I consulted the Greystar.

My Starstone doesn't so much answer my queries directly as it helps me to "feel" my way through deductive intuition to a more-or-less "correct" answer. Starstones are intelligent and alive symbiotes bonded to us Starlords on a soul-  
deep level, and they only obey the will of their present wielder, just as mine had been a part of me for the past twenty-eight centuries of my existence. I know how to read it well, and it tells me that a being of great intelligence and might was responsible for what had happened(no surprise there). At one time it had resided here in the remains of the Tendo house, but one day this timeline drifted close to the quantum dimensional vibration signature of the Genius timeline, and a momentary portal was created, a "hole" between worlds that had allowed it ready passage.

But what sort of being was my stone describing here? Greystar could only answer me if I gave it a direct question, so I shaped my thoughts along the lines of wondering what had caused the destruction of the Tendo house itself, and then an image flared to life, allowing me to recreate what had happened along the Akashic imprint lines that were the residual trace of past events for this particular timeline.

Apparently this world was one where a great battle had been fought between beings of the Negaverse and Champions of Light known as the Senshi. Moon Kingdom stuff, which made sense after a fashion. The Silver Millennium was before even my time, though I read my grandfather's notes on the secret history of the Age of Queen Serenity and the fall of the Moon Kingdom at the hands of an army of Youma. A distant cousin of mine fought in that war, King Endymion of Elysia, but though he fell defending a Princess of the Moon Kingdom he managed to buy time for Serenity to cast a massive reality-altering spell to seal the demon armies away on a negatively charged plane, where they resided until times present.

I'd heard the story about how a reborn Princess Serenity had managed to defeat an attempt by the Youma to cross back over into our world and merge it with the Negaverse, and imagine my surprise upon learning that she and a certain family in Nerima were directly related. This, coupled with the other disturbing reports I'd read about Oni and Jurai activity in this sector, tended to make me wonder what was going on out here in the Home Islands that I once knew as Nippon. A lot of general weirdness was being concentrated in one geographic area just outside of greater Tokyo itself, and the more I researched the matter the more astonished I became to discover the source of all these problems was a Dimensional Nexus by the name of Saotome Ranma.

Nexus children are a peculiar breed of humanity. Nobody knows why the Powers that Be choose randomly to select a certain individual to become a Nexus for his generation. Several of them can operate at one time, but the result is usually anarchy and mayhem of one kind or another, so It's generally safer to space them out geographically so that one Nexus doesn't go tripping up into the path of another. A Nexus child has that unusual characteristic of creating a major effect upon the timefield that he exists upon. They have a latent ability to manipulate the flow of reality on a purely unconscious level, so if one makes a choice to turn to the left or the right at any given transition point in that reality, the Universe will be greatly affected. If a Nexus goes one way and ignores a different path, the Universe itself will **turn** in accordance with their decision, so the choices they make are of paramount importance to everyone and everything in which they come in contact, even on a peripheral level.

To some extent all living beings have a self-reflective ability to manipulate reality through choices, but a Nexus is a thousand times more gifted than the general lot of humanity, so what they choose to do with their lives will often create a path upon which the Universe itself bends in accordance. The problem is that Nexus children are often rather notorious in their inability to make conscious choices in the same manner. I think the words "clueless savant" could best describe them for the innocent way in which they often choose not to decide, and therefore cause a vacuum in their given reality where events revolve around them in a confusing, perverse and even contradictory manner to what they believe are their real intentions. If a Nexus were trained to use his abilities properly, it would not be a problem, but since the fate rarely allow them to gain such competent training...

Well, anyway, the point is that Saotome Ranma is a Nexus, but then again, so was his father before him, Saotome Genma. I'd once had the misfortune of crossing paths with that larcenous fellow while visiting an old friend of mine named Happosai (though-to be fair-"friend" might be a bit generous a term to use here since the perverted little dwarf was more of a nuisance that I tended to cross paths with off and on for a couple of centuries before learning to take in stride his rather **eccentric** nature).

Poor Genma might have at one time been a rather decent fellow, but by the time I'd encountered him he'd become shifty-eyed and morally deficient, a classic case of denial and transference where he built up a mental image of himself as this great and legendary martial artist, and he used that claim to justify his otherwise quite disreputable behavior. I can only imagine what sort of mental torture he subjected his son to while taking him on the road for a "ten year training mission," and considering how the kid turned out, it was remarkable that Ranma was even halfway sane as teenagers go these days. Truth is the kid impressed me, enough so that I'd briefly considered adopting him myself to give him a way out of the life he was living. Of course, that was when the boy got involved with my daughter, Corinella, and I think one of her is enough for any family to have to endure. Needless to say, I chalked it up as a great loss and decided to allow things to go on as they were, but I never completely forgot about this kid Nexus and the wasted potential that I could see in him just bursting to come out.

Of course, sometime later I crossed paths with an older and meaner version of him, and that was when I knew that I'd made one heck of a blunder. The Ranma who now works with the Time Police had it even rougher than the kid I knew, and it turned him sour and bitter, to say nothing of him bonding himself with Shiva and becoming the Avatar of the Hindu Lord of Destruction. That Ranma was everything I knew the kid I'd met could be, only worse...much worse than I'd ever have allowed, like Darth Vader on steroids, and with a pretty grim and cynical outlook on life that makes me seem like happiness and sunshine. Might have been a mercy to just kill the guy and put him out of his misery, but I'm too much of a sweetheart for that, and besides, he seems to serve an essential function patrolling the corridors of reality, occasionally acting the part of the Angel of Death.

Which pretty much sizes me up as a job description.

Anyway, according to what the Greystar reveals, on this timeline a boy named Saotome Ranma just happened to be cousins with the reborn Princess Serenity and the long-lost crown prince to the Empire of Jurai. (Gee, don't you just love these cosmic ironies the fates love to play?). Apparently some nemesis from the Negaverse (one who made Beryl-or Metallia, if you go by different versions-  
look like a Nun from Sister Bertril's convent) took the Senshi by surprise, and in this reality it turns out that Ranma was one of their number, "Sailor Terra" no less. Seems the kid made a couple of very wrong decisions that had the effect of giving the Negaverse a toe-hold on this "Positive Plane" Universe, and certain members of the Tendo household got possessed by Youma demons. At a critical point the kid let his guard down and got seriously injured while several of his Senshi companions were kidnapped by the Youma. At that point in the timeline it gets a bit hazy, but apparently a 9th Level being going by the name of Morgan, Queen of Fairies, brought back a trinket from the Moon that contained a powerful ally who offered to help the Senshi defeat the Youma. Having no other alternatives, Saotome allowed this being to merge with his own flesh and give it a solid link to the material plane of Earth, and from there they waged a battle that defeated the Youma utterly and freed the missing Senshi...

But then something else went wrong, and as I watched events unfold I realized that some cures were indeed much worse than the infection. The "ally" wound up betraying everyone and everything on that timeline in a mad attempt to reshape the fundamental make-up of existence, and in the end the only way to end the menace was to break the link between the entity and Ranma, by which point much damage had been wrought to existence and the Gods themselves elected to bring a lock-down upon this particular timeline.

I say "Gods" here because some entities cannot be described in any other terms that you might care to imagine. I also say "lock-down" in the same sense as I refer to the "CONDEMNED" sign on the property, meaning this whole universe was termed unstable by the higher powers, a clear and present threat to the stability of the general Matrix. The forces unleashed here were sufficiently alarming that it was marked by red-flags and warning signs that most dimensional travelers, like me, could read without mistaking.

And that meant that the Dominion Council was right to contact me, and that Lady Reistas had not been unduly alarmist in telling me that my "fine touch" was needed here. Something had gotten loose from this world that was a threat to public order, and if allowed to roam unchecked throughout the timestream could work terrible havoc on other timelines not yet affected. With that in mind I wasted no more time trying to fathom why the Tendo property had been abandoned, and why no one was living here, including its former Nexus.

A pattern had been established, however, meaning this thing was after other Saotome Nexuses, but what was it's ultimate goal this time around? And what was it hoping to accomplish? More mysteries that needed solving, but at the moment what I have to do is trace the path taken by the Entity and the various Saotomes. There's no telling what might occur to those worlds when they lost their relative Nexus points to whatever was gathering them from different peripheral localities. I only hoped, when I eventually caught up with the thing, that I'd have enough of a clue to determine its overall nature. I just hate charging in blind without knowing what I'm up against, it tends to remind me a bit of George Custer and what happened to him when he foolishly raided that Sioux camp and literally bit off more than he could chew...

Though, if you want my honest opinion on that subject, my sympathies went to the Sioux...

Time Patrol Central Nexus of Worlds Station #0421A

"Got it!" Nabiki declared, "They've stabilized on a timeline...number 10243469, and the Chronal wave seems to be holding there. I believe we may have found the transition point we need."

"Then what are we waiting around here for?" Ranma asked, "Let's go out there and get to the bottom of this nonsense."

"For once I am in complete agreement with you, Ranma-kun," Nabiki said as she stood up from her console station, "Ryo-chan, monitor us. Sir, your permission to investigate this anomaly at its source?"

"Like you weren't going to go even if I said you were more valuable back here?" Windsor sniffed, "Go on and find out who the bad guys are this time. We'll try and go over the data from our end, but be careful...something about this case stinks to high heavens."

"What an interesting phrase that is," remarked a brown-haired woman as she strode into the station with as much ease as if she belonged there.

Both Nabiki and Ranma did a double-take, and then Windsor groaned and said, "What are you doing here? I mean...your ladyship, Peorth...?"

"Pleased to see you too, Lieutenant," the odd woman with the curious facial markings replied before giving Nabiki a friendly nod and saying, "No words of welcome for me? It hasn't been that long since the last time we crossed paths, has it?"

"Ah..." Nabiki replied, for once at a complete loss for words as she stared for a bit then managed to stammer out, "M-M-Mother?"

"What are you doing here...if you don't mind me asking?" Ranma asked.

"And nice to see you again, Son-in-law," the divine beauty gave him an affectionate wink, "Are you treating my spiritual step-daughter well? Or is that gloomy persona of yours starting to wear off at long last, melted into a puddle by the affection of my daughter?"

"Mother," Nabiki tried again, "What are you doing here?"

"Aside from paying you a visit?" Peorth replied with a twinkle of mischief in her eyes, "If you must know, I am on a mission for the Almighty."

"Which one?" Ranma asked drolly, his expression so bland that it was hard to take umbrage.

"Hmph, if you must know, Belldandy's father, Susano-o," Peorth turned back to Nabiki and her tone became all business, "We have discovered an anomaly affecting our systems at Yggdrasil and I have been sent to investigate. One line led directly to your relay net here at Time Patrol Central, so I came to look you up as you usually find a way to work yourself into the middle of these sorts of affairs..."

"And you were hoping to compare notes, is that it?" Nabiki asked her.

"That and accompany you to the source of this problem," Peorth replied, "Understand, someone with inside knowledge of how we operate has seized hold of the backdoor program to input some seemingly insignificant instructions into the main system with the result that Yggdrasil has been rendered temporarily blind and is unable to detect the problem. We only discovered this while doing a system check to see why things were not adding up quite right in the cosmic accounting department. That was when we stumbled upon a disruption in the pattern of reality itself that is cutting cross-laterally through time and appears to have affected at least a half a dozen distinctive timelines and...well...I'm sure you can imagine what a fuss that made back at Central."

"You gods must be in a real uproar," Ranma mused, "If somebody found a way to hack Yggdrasil and mess with the programs, then it could get pretty serious, not to mention downright ugly."

"Yes, but that would also explain why Ranko's pendant has been dormant until now," Nabiki noted, "If Yggdrasil had been aware of such a problem, then it doubtless would have summoned her as its designated Time Agent and..."

"Oh yes," Peorth brightened, "How is that darling child doing? I haven't seen my granddaughter in ages...I don't suppose there would be time to pop in at your place and...?"

All at once the complex shook beneath their feet, causing even Peorth to stumble before managing to grasp ahold of Ranma, who automatically moved his arms to press her close up against his body. For a moment they stood there with mutually astonished expressions, then as one they turned to see the green-eyed look Nabiki was fixing upon them, at which point Ranma hastily let go of the goddess and pushed her gently-but-firmly away, trying to look innocent while doing so, and failing badly.

"Busted," Windsor smirked before turning and saying, "What the hell is causing these quakes? I want an answer, people, and I want it yesterday, if need be!"

"Sir," Ryonami replied, "I don't know what's causing them, but that one was centered in the Personnel quarter...Saotome house to be exact!"

Ranma and Nabiki exchanged startled looks, then at once he hit his wrist communicator and said, "Hey, Kid! You all right in there? Answer me, damn-!"

"I'm okay, Pop...just a little shaken," Ranko's voice chimed in over the relays, "What the heck was that thing? I'm working out in the dojo when all of a sudden-AAAWWWKKK!"

"Ranko-chan?" Nabiki and Ranma chorused together, then as one they shared a look of almost panic.

"Lead the way!" Peorth cried, asserting her authority as a Goddess, "If someone has harmed my granddaughter, then may the heavens have mercy..."

"Yeah, 'cause I sure as hell won't!" Ranma snarled, already leading the charge out of the command center...

Continuum #10243469

ROLL CALL:

Doctor Ranma Saotome-Inventor-Genius and all around Wonder Boy of Bronze Ranma Saotome-An ordinary kid with decent martial arts skills Ranma Saotome-Half-Kryptonian powerhouse, sometimes nicknamed as "Super Ran"*  
Ranma Saotome-Ronin Samurai, heir to the Barony of House Saotome*  
Ranma Eponius Gaius Tiberius Saotome-Roman Gladiator and Rebel leader,  
known in some parts as the "Black Dragon" due to his being possessed by a dark spirit*  
Ranma Saotome-Wizard, 9th Level, heir to the Saotome School of Applied Thaumaturgy*

Akane Tendo-Tennis champion and all-around athletic wonder Akane Tendo-A superior-class Martial Artist Akane "Hammer" Tendo-Kawaii companion and sometime fianc e to "Super Ran," possessed of ability to summon up her "Dimensional Hammer."  
Akane Tendo-Trained in the Naginata, heir to the Tendo Ryu Agrippina Celestes Tendo-Heir to the Tendo estate, trained in wrestling &amp; armed combat recently wed Roman wife of Gaius Saotome

Nabiki "Ham" Tendo-Dual training as both a student of Law and Engineering,  
a professional Tinkerer and Legal Patent Adviser Nabiki Tendo-An ordinary girl of unusual cunning and intelligence, a skilled bunko artist with a yen for "earning" money Nabiki "Slave Drive" Tendo-A genius-level engineer and craftswoman who sold her skills (and herself) to the Lady Kodachi "Black Rose" Kuno, self-admitted Slave and professional Courtesan/Submissive Nabiki Tendo-Kimono-clad mistress of the short Samurai blade &amp; assorted potions Messelina Hermine Tendo-Trained Courtesan and Spy of the Tendo clan

Doctor Kasumi Tendo-Physicist/Mathematician, wife of Doctor Ono Tofu Kasumi Tendo-Geisha(Entertainer), oldest daughter of Clan Tendo Cassandra Vesta Tendo-Old daughter of House Tendo

Doctor Ryoga Saotome-Master of Chemistry and half-brother to Ranma Ryoga Hibiki-Half-Oni student of martial arts, best friend of Ranma Ryoga "Incredible Oni" Hibiki-Magic-cursed Oni with child-like intelligence and The physical power of a hundred demons*

Doctor Xian Pu-Physicist-Theoretician, student of Amazon Wu Shu martial arts Shampoo "Velvet Pussy"-Mutated hybrid of Amazon and Cursed Were-Cat Xian Pu Saotome-Common-Law wife of Gaius Saotome, Amazon Rebel Leader

Ukyo Saotome-Electrical Wizard, Adopted sister to Ranma Ukyo "Iron Chef" Kuonji-The Amazing Chef in a Powered Battle Suit complete with Cooking-related weaponry and utensils

Mu Tsu-Advanced Student of Archeology and Professor of Chinese History Mousse "Dark Mallard"-Masked Vigilante Martial Artist, sworn enemy of "Super Ran"*

Kodachi "Black Rose" Kuno-Demented Genius and part-time Supervillainess Kodachi Octavia Nocturna Kuno-Daughter of Governor Aurelius Kuno,  
beloved of Gaius Saotome

Tatewaki "Silver Samurai" Kuno-Armored Samurai wielder of the Sword of Hachiman

Ranko Saotome-Younger sister to "Doc Saotome," Olympic-level gymnast

Arashi Saotome-Daughter of Doc Saotome and Xian Pu, older twin sister to Kinma Kinma Saotome-Son of Doc Saotome and Xian Pu, younger twin brother to Arashi Li Kung Saotome-Son of Ranma and Nabiki, Actor/Stunt Man/Martial Artist*  
Vidori Saotome-Son of "Super Ran" and Kodachi, wielder of a Green Lantern Power Ring Tetsui Saotome-Son/Daughter of "Super Ran" and "Iron Chef" Ukyo, Super-strong, able to harden body to nigh-Invulnerable Iron*  
Akai Saotome-Daughter of "Super Ran" and "Hammer" Akane, Super Strength &amp; Speed Murai Saotome-Daughter of "Super Ran" and "Velvet Pussy" Shampoo, Feline Abilities with Superhuman strength, speed, agility, reflexes, hearing &amp; vision/Force Blast*  
Kiiro Hibiki-Daughter of "Incredible Oni" Ryoga &amp; "Hammer" Akane Rikona Stormrider Saotome-Daughter/Son of Ranma and Nabiki, Ninja*  
Conan Saotome-Son of Gaius and Xian-Pu, Warrior &amp; Healer, older twin brother to Sonja Sonja Saotome-Daughter of Gaius and Xian-Pu, Amazon warrior, younger twin sister to Conan Ambrosias Lo-Nar Saotome-Son/Daughter of Ranma and Shampoo, Wandering Mage*

[*Jusenkyo Cursed]

"You ask me, we all should wear name tags or something to tell us apart," mused a somewhat bewildered Ranma as he scanned the seated ranks of his paratime doubles and their hangers-on.

"What an interesting suggestion," Nabiki mused, "Why didn't I think of that before? Think there's time enough to get some? I could sell them at a discount."

"That's what I always liked about you, Mom," said the boy sitting beside her, "You've got your priorities straight. Most people tend to be a little slow when it comes to spotting opportunity that lands right smack dab in your lap."

Nabiki eyed the youth with the brown pigtail and said, "I'm not sure I can really accept this idea about you being my future son. I mean...no offense, but that's a lot to take in at one sitting...and why to him?" she asked as she fetched a curious look in Ranma's direction.

"Huh?" Ranma blinked as he stared back at the pretty girl with the brown page-  
boy haircut whom he had only just met less than an hour before this moment, wondering just what he had done to earn such a hard scrutiny from a complete and total stranger. In his own defense he said, "Uh...well...I'm really not sure what this is about either, Tendo-san. I mean...no offense, you're very attractive young lady and I'm sure you have a lot of good qualities, but...I mean...we've only just met and..."

"You think I have good qualities?" she asked with a peculiarly guarded expression, "Such as?"

"Huh?" Ranma realized that he was on the spot and tried to think of something on the spot, "Well...you're smart, and like I already said, you're pretty..."

"You think so, do you?" she asked with a lifting of both eyebrows.

"Sure," Ranma replied, then paused as he noticed the skeptical look she was paying him, which prompted him to ask, "Hasn't anybody ever told you that you're pretty before?"

Her expression became more guarded as she said, "Not lately...no..."

"I don't believe that," Ranma freely admitted, "I mean...look at you...you're...um...well...ah..." almost against his wills his eyes traitorously looked her over and came to rest on the noticeable way in which she filled out her school uniform. He abruptly colored and looked away hastily before saying, "Well, and you dress nicely..."

"Cute," she said in a tone that left him wondering if she were being honest or sarcastic, at which point she turned back to her other companion and said, "So, what is it about him that makes me want to marry him, other than the fact he's got a great butt and he's pleasing to look at?"

"Huh?" Ranma blinked for a third time, only now he had to cross his legs under the table as he was certain there would be a noticeable bulge in his trousers.

"I could tell you...for a price," the boy noted slyly.

"A price?" Ranma turned in time to see the way Nabiki's eyebrows vanished beneath the bangs covering her forehead, "You're charging me for information? Your own mother?"

"Of course," the youth said simply, "Family is family but business is business. You taught me yourself that a smart businessman never overlooks a single opportunity for profit, and what good is information when it's given out free? Would you value it any less if you have to pay for it?"

There was a pause during which Ranma thought the girl beside him would have a fit, but then to his complete surprise she reached over and hugged the pig-  
tailed boy and declared, "You are my son!" in a happy-proud kind of way.

"I AM SORRY FOR THE DELAY," a thunderous voice called down to them in apologetic tones, "LUNCH WILL BE SERVED UP FOR YOU IN ANOTHER FEW MINUTES."

"Take your time, Kasumi-chan," said the boy that everyone was now referring to as "Super Ran," who turned back to the rest of his counterparts and said, "So Kasumi got to be this way because of a giant's curse?"

"That's right," said the version of Ranma with his feet raised upon the table, leaning back on his bench and balancing himself on the edge without seeming effort, "The giant kidnapped her and took her to his castle in the sky where he used some kind of spell to permanently turn her into a giantess. So far even the old ghoul can't figure out how to change her back to normal, but after a while...we just sort of stopped trying."

"And this outdoor eating establishment you have adjoined to the Tendo Villa?" asked Gaius, the bare-chested version of Ranma who spoke with a distinctively foreign accent.

"Oh, the restaurant?" Ranma replied with a shrug, "Seemed the logical thing to do under the circumstances. Kasumi takes a lot to feed, you know, but what she has left over we sell to customers to pay for her diet. She's a swell cook after all, and it'd be a shame to have her talents go to waste."

"Do tell?" asked the blue-robed Ranma as he eyed the attractive fifty-four foot tall girl and compared her with the Kasumi he knew from his own timeline, remarking aloud, "Not a witch or a wise woman, but the stew she's making sure smells nice. I just hope there's nobody human in it...some giants I've known tend to be a bit on the cannibal side..."

"Who, Kasumi?" the Ranma of this timeline sniffed, "Get outta here! She's as harmless as a fly, even given that she tips the scale at around fifty-two metric tons and has to be careful where she steps since she can cause a minor earth tremor just walking to the store. Good thing traffic around here is as light as it is, can't imagine her being able to do that around downtown Tokyo, and when she takes her morning bath in the nearby stream she does tend to raise the waterline more than a bit..."

"I just can't figure this out," Doc Saotome shook his head in wonder, "How can she function normally at that size? It goes against everything we know about human biology..."

"Hey, I'm no expert, but I figure the Giant made a few changes to make her seem more normal," the other Ranma shrugged, "More than one guy's quoted that Inverse-Square thingie to me, but it never makes any sense. I just know that Kasumi is still Kasumi, there's just a lot more of her now, and people around here stopped asking a long time ago about the size thing."

"Only in Nerima," the Nabiki in overalls shook her head in wonder, "You okay up there, Sis? I mean...there's no problems being that big?"

"PLEASE, IMOTOCHAN," the giant Kasumi called down gently, "NO JOKES ABOUT THE WEATHER. I GET SO TIRED OF HEARING ABOUT THEM, OR ANSWERING PEOPLE WHO ASK ME WHY I DON'T GET NOSE BLEEDS."

"Er...right," Nabiki turned and studied her own counterpart from this timeline, marveling at the curious changes in physiology that she saw there, "And...you mind explaining about the ears?"

"I'm a Goblin, all right?" that other Nabiki snapped sharply, her eyes narrowed in what seemed like a perpetual look of piercing, yellow-eyed intensity, her nose somewhat longer than normal, yet still oddly attractive, "I got Hexed by a witch who didn't like the way I charged her for some information. She said I had the instincts of a Goblin, so I might as well look like one, whatever the hell that means..."

"It means you have yellow-green skin, yellowish eyes, green hair and you tend to go everywhere barefoot," replied the Nabiki who wore a slave collar and carried around an ever-handy electronic note-pad, "Which I think is kind of neat in a way...only I thought Goblins couldn't stand sunlight..."

"That's Trolls you're thinking about," the sharp-faced Goblin Nabiki snapped back, "They're the ones who tend to be shy out in daylight. My eyes are a bit light-sensitive, though, so I normally wear sun shades when I'm outdoors, like now."

"Riiight," said the Nabiki in coveralls, before glancing over her shoulder and adding, "And what's her story?"

"KAAAAIIIAAA!" came a familiar cry as a hammer-like fist was slammed into a pile of bricks, shattering them as though they had been struck by a massive sledgehammer. The figure giving the smashing demonstration straightened up and dusted her hands before saying, "Nothing to it, just takes a bit of Muscle and some focused Ki-concentration."

"Wow," said one of the four versions of Akane, "You sure are strong for your size. And people always say I look a little husky."

"Husky?" another of the Akane's growled, "Don't you mean Tomboyish?"

"Let us not quibble about semantics," said the one who insisted on being called Agrippina, "I find it passing curious that our counterpart on this timeline is almost a cubit shorter in height yet possesses such formidable hardiness, though I am a bit unsure about your chin-hairs."

"So, I have to shave at least once a day," the local Akane scratched her chin for emphasis, "That's not such a problem compared to your furry friends over there."

"Please do not refer to them as my 'friends,'" said the sixth Akane (the one wearing a kimono), "In truth I barely know them."

"Oh, Akane?" Goblin Nabiki said as she turned back to regard her normal-seeming counterparts, "Same witch as Hexed me, only she turned my little sister into a Dwarf, claimed she had the right attitude and build for one, not to mention the temper."

"I see," the Nabiki wearing a kimono noted simply, "And...the purple haired one in armor?"

"Nihao!" said a cheerful Amazon wearing a low-cut chain-mail brassiere and gleaming gold and silver platelets as she set several trays down around the table, loaded as they were with boys of steaming hot Ramen, "Shampoo so happy to have so many nice friends who want to eat her cooking! Shampoo always glad to make new friends, especially they look so much like Shampoo Airen!"

"Oh Goddess!" Xian-Pu covered her eyes, "Not another one!"

"What you mean?" asked the purple-furred cat-woman sitting beside her.

"She means to ascertain why you use such curious terms in your speech and refer to yourself always in the third person," noted the Xian Pu currently wearing a thin chiton that barely concealed her generous assets.

"This way Shampoo always talk," the armored Amazon replied, "Why you ask what wrong with Shampoo speaking?"

"Oh yeah," Goblin Nabiki remarked, "Tragic story that had a happy ending. Shampoo died defending Ranma and the rest of the house, but because the Goddess was looking down at her with favor that day she was allowed to come back as a Valkyrie. Her body was restored to life and she was made one of the Einherriar out of Valhalla. She commutes back and forth across the Rainbow bridge at least twice a week and spends half her time on Earth, half her time serving the Norse Gods as a waitress in the halls of the Slain. Oh, did I forget to mention that Witch who hexed us sometimes goes by the name of the Enchantress?"

"Okay, Sugar," the Ukyo in coveralls sniffed, "So mind filling me in why the me on this world is slinking around looking like a refugee from a Commando movie?"

"Oh, Kuonji?" Goblin Nabiki sniffed, "She's a Ranger. Kind of like out of the Tolkien books, only she's half-elvish, which explains the ears and eyebrows. Hell of a bow-woman...she can nock and draw in a blink of an eye and put the tip of an arrow through a yen-piece at a hundred and fifty meters."

"Telling stories about me again, Orc?" said a grim-faced Ukyo presently wearing chain mail and looking as if she had just trudged out of a forest dragging a freshly killed venison (which, in point of fact, she now had dressed and hanging off to the side, having already been skinned and gutted in the coral that lay at the far extreme corner of the compound.

"Only the truth, Dunedain," Goblin Nabiki shot back in what seemed like a familiar act of banter that passed between them, "These Doppelgangers of ours seem curious to know everything that they can learn about what happened to my family and the rest of us, like what became of Daddy over there..."

She nodded towards the place where the Heads of the Household were presently seated, Soun Tendo being noted for the peculiar non-traditional garments that he was wearing, while beside him stood a human-like man-Walrus sipping tea beside a Nodoka who was wearing an odd manner of hat with a 10% label.

"Oh yeah," Goblin Nabiki remarked, "Did I forget to mention that the witch had a wicked sense of humor?"

"I'm late, I'm late, I'm late for a date with Mamoru-chan!" cried a blonde haired girl in a Playboy bunny costume as she hurried past their table, only to trip over her own twin ponytails and fall on her face a few seconds later

"Do tell?" the Nabiki in coveralls asked drolly.

"This is a very strange version of the Tendo dojo," observed the bespectacled Mu Tsu, as he studied the outdoor layout, "An entire city block converted into an outdoor restaurant, a kitchen the size of a tall building serving as a house for a Kasumi who's over five stories tall? And tables set out on picnic-style tables and benches, enough to feed a good sized army...and you say you can do all of this while remaining true to local city ordinances?"

"Sure, why not?" said a version of Mu Tsu who was sporting a pair of wings upon his backside, "Once the city fathers were made to see that Kasumi-san could be a benefit to the community instead of a menace they were willing to amend the rules a bit and give special dispensations to the dojo so that they could build the great hall and incorporate a restaurant with a soup kitchen. This way the dojo makes a profit and we serve community needs, which helps a lot with public relations, let me tell you..."

"Public relations?" said the Dark Mallard, who still refused to remove his mask even after having been restored to human condition.

"Of course," said the winged Mousse, "Nabiki set it up so that we get a tax benefit to negate the extra area taken up by the restaurant and people come here to socialize like a community market square. Of course, Kasumi herself takes up a lot of living space and we need the money for the extra accommodations for her extension to the property, but we've managed to work it out so that the Dojo Cafe makes a tidy little profit. One good thing about Goblins, they lots of ways of turning profit out of any given situation."

"That only makes sense after a fashion," noted the version of Kodachi wearing the glossy black high-tech bustier-style combat armor, "My pet can always make any situation profitable, even when it might seem on the surface to be a total disaster."

"I aim to please, O' Maleficent One," said the Nabiki wearing the collar, smiling.

"How passing strange this is," said the noblewoman named Nocturna, "I thought to be alive was a miraculous thing, yet to see so many wondrous worlds where my handsome Eponius is celebrated and revered as a hero..."

"Well, you have to admit," said the leather-clad dominatrix beside her as she fingered her bull-whip, "He fits the role admirably...and where there is a hero, there must always be a villainess to tempt him into the darkness."

"And I had thought my twisted sister much to cope with," mused the Silver Samurai version of Tatewaki Kuno before turning to his counterpart and saying, "Howsoever do you manage?"

"'Tis a trial I do confess," the Kuno in the warrior's tunic bearing a holy symbol replied, "And yet despite the odds I do but attempt to manage."

"Sheesh, and I thought one of him was a handful," winced Ranko as she turned to the local counterpart of her older brother and said, "So that accounts for everyone else, but what about you, Oniichan, and what's with the hairy feet?"

"What, these?" Ranma wiggled his oversized and hirsute members and said, "I'm a Hobbit, what about it?"

"Kinda tall for a hobbit don't you think?" asked the blue-robed version of Ranma.

"So I grew up a little," the large-footed Ranma said as he took a puff from his pipe and blew smoke rings that hovered in the air for several seconds, "You get used to them after a while, and they do have certain advantages over normal sized feet...it's all that extra displacement of area and all that. I can walk barefoot on snow without leaving a trace, and they're a lot more nimble than you would think just for looking at them."

"Is there any chance that you might be cured of this condition?" Doc Saotome asked.

"Why?" the Hobbit Ranma answered, "Cured of what? Everything seems perfectly normal to me..."

"Oh yeah," nodded the Goblin Nabiki, "That witch definitely had a wicked sense of humor..."

"Ryoga is confused," said the Incredible Oni as he took up nearly half a bench, having finished off his third straight bowl of ramen, "Is all this Ranma's fault, and if is, does Ryoga get to smash him?"

"Ah...maybe later, okay big guy?" the Ryoga beside him said before turning to his counterpart and saying, "Better bring more ramen. It seems to be keeping him happy."

"Yeah," said the third Ryoga in their group, "And the more he eats the less time he has to think, and since thinking seems to run in only one direction..."

"Right, got it," said the local version of Ryoga, grunting slightly as he eyed the small black pig on the table, his tusks gleaming for a moment as yellow-eyed hunger was replaced with a certain sadness before he turned away and mumbled, "I'll bring larger bowls next time. Kasumi's almost done cooking up lunch anyhow..."

"I can't quite get used to all of this," Tetsui marveled.

"Know what you mean, Bro," Vidori agreed, "So many different versions of our folks, and so many different versions of us...it gets confusing without a program."

"Oh, I don't know about that," smiled the kittenish Murai, "I think it's kind of neat meeting all these interesting people, and Kiiro here fits right in with this crowd."

"I do at that," the tall half-Oni girl remarked, "But some of us seem to fit here even better than others."

"Do I take that to mean something?" asked the masked Ninja who went by the name of Stormrider.

"Ignore the barbs, Brother," said Ambrosias after setting down his half-finished bowl of ramen, "This moment is a brief respite and it can't last for very long, so we might as well make the most of it..."

"Crom Criuch, but I fear you are right," scowled Conan, "This bouncing around from place to place is getting quickly..."

"I wouldn't complain too much, Brother," Sonya countered, "At least we're not trapped in a pass with a hundred Roman legionaries trying to wear us down, so if this is a break from that action, I'm more than willing to take it."

Kinma heaved a sigh and said, "Sis?"

"I'm working on it," Arashi assured him as she tapped away on her private key-  
pad, "The calculations will be done in a few more seconds, so just be patient and I'll have your answer."

"That's just fine," said someone new, "But mind if I ask who are all of you people?"

"HUH?" came a collective gasp as heads turned to see a seven-foot tall woman wearing a headband and worn travel clothes, barefoot yet sporting a bow, a sword in a scabbard and a belt knife, and yet quite relaxed in her posture.

"I'm afraid to ask but...who are you?" asked Vidori.

"My name is Mithrandil Silverwand," she replied, "But most just call me Mithril of the Clan Saotome, and this is my home you are presently eating my folks out of, so please to answer my question."

"OH MY," remarked the colossal Kasumi, "MORE GUESTS FOR LUNCHTIME? DO BE A MOMENT AND I'LL HAVE MORE RAMEN READY FOR YOU."

"Mom?" the girl named Mithril looked up in surprise, "What's going on? Don't you recognize me?"

"Mom?" repeated Tetsui.

"Guess we know what her parentage is," Murai remarked.

"Obviously...but...how?" Kiiro pointed to the five-foot-tall Ranma and the fifty-plus foot tall Kasumi.

"Maybe he used a ladder?" Stormrider replied.

"Oh shut up," growled Ambrosias.

"Crom, but this is getting weird..." remarked Conan.

"How many of us are there anyhow?" asked an equally disturbed Sonya.

"Um..." the hairy-footed Ranma glanced up at the strange girl then gave Kasumi a wry look, "Is there something you've been meaning to tell me, Kasumi-chan?"

"OH MY!" came the giantess's surprised answer.

"How many this time?" asked Ranko in a surprisingly bright tone of voice, "I wanna see how many nieces and nephews I'm going to have this time around."

"Hey, why her?" scowled Ukyo.

"Aiyaa," remarked the Valkyrie Shampoo, "Why giant girl and no us?"

"I don't know," remarked Xian Pu sourly, "Could it be you didn't impress him enough with those cutesy, monosyllabic phrases?"

"Or maybe because she has gozongas the size of kettle drums?" Li Kung suggested, then winced as his mother swatted him, prompting him to say, "What?"

"The others are right behind me," Mithril explained, "I hurried on ahead because my stride is the longest and I wanted to see what all this commotion was about. Father?"

"Well, that's an interesting question, my dear," Ranma blew on his pipe for a moment and thought about it, "Seems like a story in the telling, and you know how stories always tend to delay breakfast..."

**That is not necessarily the case,** a strangely disembodied voice remarked in everyone's head simultaneously, causing a collective everyone to look around in momentary confusion before noticing a strangely glowing light hovering over their heads, moving towards a clear area before setting down upon one of the tables.

All at once the light expanded to take the form of a very tall and handsome looking man in a very odd style of dress who radiated a presence that was both charismatic and alluring. The female half of those now present heaved a collective sigh while the male half felt strangely daunted, as if both liking and disliking the man in the very same instant before the light surrounding him died down and faded to a gentle, barely noticeable body aura.

"My apologies for startling you," he began, "It was not my intent to inconvenience you by summoning you all here, but I would like to thank you for coming at my summons."

"W-W-What?" the normal-seeming Ranma exclaimed with raised eyebrows.

"You mean you...?" began Super Ran.

"...Are responsible for our being shifted around in space and time?" growled Gaius.

"But why?" wondered Doc Saotome.

"A very good question," the stranger replied, "Unfortunately I must refrain from giving you a direct answer. You see...I am looking for someone with a very precise energy signature that none of you completely matches...but it is my hope that, in drawing you to this plane of reality, I might ensnare the one whom I would recruit into my cause, so...I am afraid that the rest of you are merely extra baggage."

"Extra baggage?" one Ranma's hand was upon the hilt of his katana.

The Ranma wearing blue robes put a hand to his comrade's wrist and said, "I think he means that he got more of us than he meant to handle. A group this large and unwieldy must make for a rather confusing mass of dimensional resonances."

"You are quite correct in this assumption," the strange man in the ornate costume replied, "Each of you has some fragment of the overall equation that I wish to harness, but first I believe that we shall simplify things a bit by removing those factors to the equation that do not quite fit in, once I move everything to a more suitable location."

There was hardly a sense of transition this time, just a faint tingling of electrostatic tension, and then everyone found themselves abruptly deposited on the ground with a collective "THUD" that left many persons groaning in faint dismay.

"Again I must apologize for that," the man replied with sincerity in his voice and expression, "But believe me, this is necessary if my plans are to see fruition."

"Necessary?" groaned one of the Ranmas as he sat up and rubbed his backside, "Just who the hell are you?"

"Names have power, but if you must know me by a title, then you may call me Celestine," the man replied, "Soon to be the new Master of all Creation..."

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Bardic Storytelling: shadowmane

The circle tightens around our crew as the cast gets whittled down a bit while Ranma and Nabiki rush to find out what has befallen Ranko, while back on a certain Earth a lady becomes concerned regarding the whereabouts of her husband, and if you thought Nodoka was intensive, just wait until you meat Garimel Shalestar in: "Jaws Too," or "How to Remake Creation in Five Easy Lessons!" Be there!

X -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: ~ All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	9. Chapter 9

RanWarp09

Realities Warped!

By Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi and other artists too numerous to mention.  
The Character of Shadowmane, however was created by me as my kind-of alter ego,  
so-needless to say-use of him by anyone but me is highly restricted and will tend to get you "listed"...and you don't want to meet my agent when she comes calling, believe me!)

Chapter Nine.

Shalestar

Continuum #100245968 Greystar Estate, British Columbia

Garimel hummed a pleasant tune as she set the dinner table, happy thoughts of the coming evening lending this simple task with a warmth of delightful anticipation for the coming evening. Her infectious mood of almost girlish glee prompted her to sing an enchanting melody in soft, trilling notes that would have made birds sing along in chorus had there been any wildlife pleasant. In fact the charming delight that she took in preparing the table drew the attention of her faithful servant, Crystal, who padded in with mild surprise upon seeing her lady so engaged in menial labor.

"My lady?" Crystal chimed in her own bell-like voice.

"Oh, don't trouble yourself, my dear," Garimel urged happily, "I want to do this just right, and when Chakar comes home to see these preparations, just imagine his surprise..."

"Indeed?" Crystal arched one pale silver eyebrow, seeing what looked like space for a sumptuous banquet had been reserved upon the Master table, complete with a candelabra that would have threatened several fire codes and safety ordinances along with a plethora of flowers and fruit and other such decorations as would seem appropriate for serving a meal to the Tsar of Russia rather than a humble history professor. Indeed, many Kings whom Crystal had known had not eaten such fine fare as this, which prompted her to ask, "My lady has been busying herself in the kitchen?"

"Oh yes," Garimel replied, a slender woman of seeming youth and great beauty whose long pale hair hung down about her shoulders like spun wires of white gold, her willowy figure as trim and compact as any ballerina, "As I said, I want this to go just right for the evening. After all, you know what day this is?"

"Ah..." Crystal thought a moment then blinked, "The day you first tried to kill the Master?"

"The day when Chakar and I first met," Garimel said with a happy sigh, "I remember that day well, when he stood so tall and proud and confronted me in battle, and I was out to avenge the murder of my late husband and foolishly took him for the killer. We clashed for almost an hour before he defeated me soundly, and then I awoke to find myself laid out upon a picnic blanket and Chakar was serving bubbling champagne, his idea of an interrogation. It was so romantic that I almost forgot why I tried to kill him."

"Well, that's the Master for you," Crystal shrugged, "Women who try to kill him always did get his attention."

"Oh, but this was no ordinary encounter," Garimel sighed, "It was the day when I discovered him for the man he truly is, the day when we became allies against the conspiracy that threatened the Starlord Dominion. It was also the day when I discovered that a man could be more than just my equal in the exchange of arms and amour. My late husband, rest his soul, was never quite the romantic that Chakar is..."

"The master...a romantic?" Crystal arched the other eyebrow.

"Ah...just think of it, Crystal," Garimel sighed as she surveyed her own masterpiece, "Thirty years ago Wolf House and Shark House became allies, and then we bonded together through our Starstones and became as one mind and body. Thirty years seems but a mere eyeblink, only one percent of Chakar's lifespan, nearly five percent of mine, but such eventful years these have been, and at times it barely seems as though we are past the stage of newlyweds..."

"I know," Crystal replied, refraining from making comments about the noisy nocturnal activities of her betters and choosing instead to say, "My lady has charged me with tending to the fruit of your union."

"Ah yes, that does remind me," Garimel turned to her silver-haired attendant, "How are the children getting on?"

"Well, Corinella is in college terrifying her professors, as my ladyship well knows," Crystal said dryly, "As for little Corrigan...he's sleeping like an angel upstairs. I left Parion to attend him, and his sister, Theresa, has volunteered tonight to watch his crib."

"Dear Parion and Theresa," Garimel smiled, "Of all their pack they are two of the noblest and most reliable members of House Greystar. Their loyalty knows no bounds and they have always been fiercely protective of our children..."

"Werewolves are known for their loyalty to those they consider a part of their pact by extension and inclusion," Crystal pointed out, "And as the Master is regarded as Pack Lord, their obedience to him is beyond question."

"And you, Crystal?" Garimel asked, "You have served my husband longer than anyone who knows him. Why are you so loyal when other members of your species tend to be fiercely individualistic?"

"Difficult to say, other than the fact that the Master did me a good turn long ago and I still feel that I owe him fealty," Crystal responded, touching the curious oval-shaped marking on her forehead, "By my horn I swore to always stand with him and protect the ones he loved from harm, and an oath by one of my kind has gravity and is never to be taken likely."

"I know," Garimel assured the silver-haired beauty, "I wasn't testing you, Crystal dear, I was merely reflecting on why I am so fortunate to have such a wonderful husband. Chakar is not an easy man to get to know, but those few friends he makes are fierce friends and true, and at times he could use all the allies that he can find. True loyalty is tested and earned through the hard baptism of life, but it cannot be commanded, only won by merit, and Chakar has never felt comfortable with ordering people around. He prefers the company of peers to the mealy-mouthed praise of mere lackeys, unlike a certain lord of the Darkstar that I could mention..."

Almost against her will Crystal felt a faint shudder pass down her spine, not wanting to mention the very name of the enemy of her house, Darcon Trevaros, as speaking names aloud might give that enemy power.

"Anyway," Garimel sighed, "The preparations are done, the meal is ready, now all that awaits is for Chakar to come home and we will celebrate our anniversary together. I told him to expect something important for tonight, and he promised me that he would be home early, so..."

"My lady," Crystal turned her head and sniffed the air before saying, "I believe the Master is returning home...only...it does not feel quite right, like the master..."

All at once a man dressed in the plain garments of a college professor entered the room, nodding to crystal in a perfunctory manner before saying, "Don't get your tail in a twitter, Crys, it's just me...only I'm not exactly me at the moment, if you catch my drift..."

"Master?" Crystal replied, her pale blue-green eyes going wide with realization.

"Something came up and I had to go tend to business," said the man who looked exactly like Professor Charles Grey but quite evidently was not, "So I sent me on ahead to let you know that I was going to be a little late getting home, Gari, but not to worry because..."

"Uh oh..." Crystal said as she turned abruptly from the solid image of the man she served to eye her Mistress, sensing already the change at work in Garimel's mercurial mood swings.

"His shadow," Garimel said softly, her eyes hidden as she tilted her head slightly forward, "You are my husband's shadow sent to me in his place? His shadow?"

"Uh...yeah..." the man paused and looked at the pale haired lady of the Manor, "Gari? Are you okay? You're not...upset are you?"

"Upset?" Garimel raised her eyes and suddenly they were as slate-gray as her Starstone, "Why would you think me upset? Other than the fact that you swore to me that you would be home on time, Chakar...and did you happen to forget what day this is?"

"Uh..." the Shadow of Chakar responded.

Crystal said nothing but moved her eyes and nudged her head towards the table, causing the man to turn and look before saying, "Was there something important we were going to celebrate?"

"Oh, nothing important...just our anniversary," Garimel replied, her tone already becoming oddly flat and toneless.

"Our...?" the Shadow of Chakar's eyes went wide with belated realization, and then he turned nervously to Garimel and said, "Uh oh..."

Before he could react she reached out with a hand and gripped him by the breastbone, and then all at once the image of Chakar flickered and distorted, draining first of color, depth and shading before being replaced by a wire-frame image, then all of that was absorbed into the palm of the lady's hand as the stone in the pendant that hung between Garimel's breasts flared to life, the pale white Shalestar pulsing with activity as its Mistress drew upon the deconstructed Shadow and savored the feeling of its resonant image. Then her clothing began to shift from an elegant dress to a white cloak and blue tunic more fitting for some bygone age when mink and sable were considered politically correct for clothing a noble-born lady.

Crystal gave back in wide-eyed terror as she saw the sword manifest at the side of her lady, but Garimel ignored her and stepped forward murmuring, "Please look after the children...I am going to find my husband."

And then her image merged with the fabric of time and space, leaving Crystal to stare in dismay at the passage of her lady.

She did not have long to wait until a furry man-shaped wolf came bursting into the room, clad in a Samurai's Hakama that was complete with long and short swords thrust through his obi. In alarm he cried, "What has transpired here, Lady Crystal?"

The Unicorn cleared her throat and said, "You're a bit late, Parion...and much too late to aid our unfortunate master."

"Oh?" Parion surveyed the dinner table then relaxed his posture by a fraction, "Then we are not under attack? Why then has our lady reverted to her warrior persona?"

"Our Master forgot what day it is," Crystal replied before swallowing thickly, "The Gods pity our master."

Parion's fierce canine features could only reflect his sympathy at this sentiment as he realized the significance of the Unicorn's words, and then he shuddered indeed, for Lady Shalestar, the White Shark, was on the prowl once again, and the Fates have pity upon anyone who came between her and her intended quarry, the only man in the Multiverse who had ever been able to tame her savage fury...

Continuum #00274138

They say all roads lead to Rome, and when in Rome you should learn to dress in a toga.

Actually, they haven't said that in quite a while where I come from, but the saying is true enough for anyone who lived through those times and managed to walk away bragging about it. I've heard some people talk nostalgically about the so-called "Golden Age" of Rome, both when it was a Republic and an Empire, but having spent far too many of my years during the height of the Imperial Caesars, I can tell you first hand that it was no mere toga party.

Imagine centuries of grueling toil when the Imperial machinery was grinding down the world under the tread of Roman sandals, before anyone had ever even heard of the urinal and a weight watchers program, when it considered fashionable to eat like a pig and vomit out your guts so you could eat more food down, and polite society would frown on the mere mention of "emancipation." Women were property and slavery was the backbone of society, they had indoor plumbing but it was lined with toxic metals that would gradually turn your brain into mush if you were among the lucky few who lived beyond thirty. They still believed in bleeding a patient and the best medical and dental plan that you could afford came with leeches and no anesthetic, and the farthest that you could travel in a day was the distance that could be covered by a fast horse. As for mass communication? Stand on a street corner and shout at the passers-by, which was considered a high form of entertainment. I do look back on those days and marvel at what humanity had to go through, and it's amazing enough to think of all the good things that came out of that era, even if I'm reminded of how much was lost when Rome went Christian.

But then again, the question has often been posed of what the world might have been like had Rome lasted beyond the rise of the Visigoths and the Catholic orthodoxy. Imagine if Rome had not pulled within its borders and refused to cross the Rhine, if Persia and India were conquered and the rest of Africa itself became a Roman province? What if all of Asia gradually fell beneath the Aegis of Roman occupation and was converted into the Imperial system? What if they had crossed the seas and discovered America? And what if-true to Roman custom-they had adopted and absorbed the cultures they dominated, learning and adapting along the way with typical Roman pragmatism and utilitarian design? Might it be possible that Rome could have lasted more than a thousand years, possibly even survive unto the present generation?

Well, wonder no farther, because I can testify that on some timelines they did just that and became a thriving concern well into the twenty-first century. Take the universe I was presently investigating, where Christianity had never evolved into a separate branch from Judaism and where the religion of Mithras was tamed and converted to appeal to more agrarian concerns. Monotheism never gained a foothold in this world, and so the religions of other peoples were incorporated into the Roman structure rather than being squashed. India and China thus had the Buddha wearing a Roman style outfit and preaching enlightenment in frescos as though attending an evening chat with some buddies from the Senate. The Russian version has Cossacks forming up in cavalry charges supported by Roman infantry as they wage war against the Tartars, then there are the native Americans and their empires, which Rome acknowledged and made into client states after hammering out the details of which one had the better armies(the Romans!).

Just about everywhere you look the Roman seal found its mark, and civilization progressed through the march of time with technology and trade gradually raising the standard of living for everyone, but-as in most other forms of society-  
the standard holds true that some are "more equal than others," and those at the top of the social pyramid get most of the benefits while those on the bottom barely get mention and are quickly forgotten.

Sure, you get that in most societies, but with the Roman Imperial system the division between the haves and have-nots is especially striking, and that's the main reason why Rome was plagued with periodic riots and rebellions when those at the bottom got fed up with having their aspirations for a better life get trampled upon, and all that those at the top understood was ruthless repression and the rule of the sword, which technology actually facilitates rather than diminishes as in our modern era of mass communication. Such an unequal society breeds discontent throughout the provinces, and with national aspirations forcibly repressed the people are often forced to choose local heroes to be their champions of the moment, making outlaws and bandits into champions for the common man. Never mind that revolutionaries tend to plague the people they are allegedly defending far more than they trouble the government that actually turned them into outlaws!

Such a case in point would be the Romanized province of Japan, or Iapetus, if you know your basic Latin. Here I find a world where the culture of Japan has been mingled with a modern-day version of Roman society, and where a rebel slave from a fallen house of the nobility dared to take on the local governor and spawned a highly effective band of guerilla fighters who proved to be more of a nuisance than the usual bunch of malcontents. Not that Saotome's band ever had a prayer on their own of toppling the Imperial machine, but coupled with a rival contender calling himself the new Shogun...well, I get nightmare flashbacks to Bonnie Prince Charlie and see a real disaster in the making, one way or another.

That Saotome was on the verge of committing mass suicide with his remaining followers is clear enough to me from my rather cursory investigation. The sudden appearance of a group of cross-paratime travelers seems to have put off his last heroic blaze of glory and aborted his "Samson" act long enough to scoop him up with a majority of his remaining people. Exactly why the force behind this felt inclined to scoop up the wounded with the heroes is none to clear to me at the moment, but then again, I know little of the actual motives or intentions of my elusive quarry. He seems to be acting out of motivations that are quite elusive to discern, and so I rap up my tour of Roma Nova and hit the trails again in search of some answers.

Leaving behind that peculiar dimension I walk through the shadows of many an alternate world in search of one reality where dwells an old friend of mine who was also something of a mentor. I arrive at his place within moments of outlining my intentions, and the haze of time parts before me to reveal a humble village cottage out in the English countryside that is the home of my friend, a fellow who himself is a bit of a reclusive.

I notice the curiously circular frame about the door and smile. Same old sense of humor I knew so well from the old days. The place is disguised against casual penetration, but I walk through this without care of setting off any magical alarm bells. A Starlord's passage is not very intrusive, after all, and my pattern is well known to the occupant of this structure, or a "hobbit hole," as he affectionately likes to call it. I knock on the door and wait to hear an answer, then watch as the door silently swings inward with no one apparently holding it open.

Same old Wizard I knew, loves to tease his guests even if he knows how little impressed I'd be with the theatrics.

I step inside, taking the open door for a clear invitation, and at once am greeted by a friendly nod from the old man sitting in the chair in the middle of the common room. He looks up from the book he's reading and smiles as he sets in a bookmark then stands up and greets me warmly.

"My dear fellow," he says as we clasp hands together, "It's been such a long while...to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Wish I could say it was a social call, Ylan," I reply, "But I'm afraid it's the business. A case I'm on has me chasing a guy who seems to be right up your ally of expertise, or more than mine anyway. If you can spare a moment to help me out, it'd be much appreciated."

"Yes," he says with a shrewd look in his ancient grey eyes, "Rather thought it was something like that from the look of you. Well then, sit down and make yourself at home, then tell me the reason why you're after this fellow, and does he have a name you know while you're at it?"

I settle down into a chair, composing my sword and cape accordingly so as to be less intrusive, "The reason has to do with temporal disruption...this guy's been punching a lateral hole through the timefield and he's dragged a bunch of locals with him to several parallel worlds in sequence. I need to catch up with him before he causes a major tear in reality...no telling what might try and take advantage of the disruption..."

"Yes," my old mentor nods in understanding as he sits back down in a chair and gives me his full attention, "Can't be too careful these days. Many dark and sinister beings from the Outer Dark would like nothing better than to cross over and do all sorts of mischief. Unpleasant business that, no telling how many innocent lives could be affected."

"My point exactly," I responded, "So...what can you tell me about a guy by the name of Celestine?"

My ancient mentor rocks back in his chair and gives me a wide-eyed look of dismay, "Where did you hear that name uttered?"

"Through scrying with the Greystar," I indicate my pendant, "I got an image of him doing a major level disruption spell that threw an entire dimension out of whack. Near as I can tell the Gods on that timeframe went into a panic and shut the whole timeline down for repairs. That mostly confined the damage to that one universe, but for the people trapped on the other side," I shrugged in resignation.

"Yes," Ylan said after a long moment of silence, "That might well conform to the Celestine that I once knew, though the Gods themselves have forbidden that name to be uttered in their presence."

"He's that bad?" I asked with a lifted eyebrow.

"Oh no, quite the contrary," Ylan assures, "He's not bad at all, at least...not in the sense that you imply. Celestine...well...he's quite a fellow, really, brilliant even for a God, and very wise...beyond what is normal for that lot. Used to be a low-ranking systems administrator for Yggdrasil..."

"Really?" I arch the other eyebrow, "So what went wrong?"

"Sad really," my mentor sighed, "Classic case of idealism gone awry. Celestine was a bit too brilliant for his own good, not to mention motivated by a pure desire to help the weak and the helpless, whom he came to see as being oppressed by the current system. He got the notion into his head that he could make things better only by tearing down the already existing system and replacing it with his own distinctive model, even whipped up program designs and formulated spells that could do the trick, and if his plans had been carried out he might well have created a paradise on Earth where no one ever suffered an injustice..."

"Only...that would have negated free will, huh?" I ask, rapidly catching on to the drift that this was taking.

"Which is why the powers that govern the Yggdrasil system clamped down on his research and ordered him to do no further test designs on his abortive program," Ylan replied, "Celestine never took that the right way as an instruction for his error. He seemed to obey the command and then bided his time until he felt that he had the right keys in place to put them into effect, at which point he attempted to carry out his intended rebellion with the help of a young goddess whom he nurtured as his prot g ."

"Was she a willing party to this?" I ask.

"Certainly not," Ylan said with dignity in his expression, "She is the purest of the pure, after all, and would never dream of consciously violating the personal rights and aspirations of all living people. This happened quite a few centuries ago, and when Celestine's plot was discovered he was punished rather severely, stripped of his corporeal form and locked into the form of an icon that the Gods locked away in what they hoped would be a very secure prison."

"Only something went wrong and he got loose on that one timeline?" I ask with growing uneasiness.

"Evidently," Ylan replies, "And if he is anything like the Celestine I knew then you cannot imagine a more dangerous or dedicated adversary to have to go against, and because his motivations are pure and he believes absolutely in the justice of his cause he will be tenacious in seeking to carry it out. That, coupled with his brilliance, makes him a clear and present threat to all existence, one that you had best approach with caution, Chakar, my dear fellow, if you want to best him at his own game."

"Terrific," I sniff, "So, what you're telling me is I'm up against a fanatic with godlike intelligence and abilities, only he's been locked away on the moon for a couple of millennia, which is bound to make anyone a little bit nutso."

"You summarize it adequately," Ylan nods with a shrewd expression, "Understand, the Celestine I knew was a very likeable fellow, kind hearted and compassionate with a love of humanity that makes the suffering of others unbearable unless he can find a way to administer redress. It often frustrated him beyond words that few of his fellow gods shared his obsession with mortals to quite the same degree, and fewer still could understand what motivated his anguish. The restraint Heaven imposed upon his actions used to chafe him even before he plotted his rebellion, and he even went so far as to imagine that he was wiser than the System Lords themselves, hence his scheme to create an entirely new and infinitely more Just System."

"In other words I'm dealing with an incredibly nice fellow who'll stop at nothing to have his way remaking reality in his own image?" I sigh, remarking to myself how much I hate these "easy" assignments...

"Yes," Ylan remarks as his eyes take on that misty quality I knew so well from the old days, "Reminds me a bit of the War of the Ring, back when people would argue that a weapon was neither inherently good nor evil and so it should be safe to use if your heart is pure and you have the best intentions. Of course the Ring corrupted everyone who took that opinion..."

"Ah...maybe later, Professor," I hastily urge, not wanting to have to sit and listen to him recite a synopsis of his trilogy all over again. Much as I like Ylan, he can be awfully long-winded, and his love of trivia and minutiae is legendary.

"Ah well," he sighed, then he gave me a shrewd look again and said, "Then perhaps I should compare him to another young fellow I once knew...one who was so full of bitterness and anger when I took him in and taught him the ways of magic. How headstrong that fellow was, so sure of the righteousness of his cause and the destiny that had fallen unto him to avenge the slaughter of his family. I often wonder what happened to that fellow...don't you?"

"I don't have to," I reply, standing up, "I know exactly what happened to him. He had the luck to find a kind and patient mentor, one who coached him out of his rut and taught him how to view life from a position of moderation and balance."

"You were a good pupil back then, Son," Ylan smiled, "Your father would be proud of the man you grew up to be, a fitting heir to the House of the Wolf and a proper wielder of the Greystar...and do you know why?"

"Because I never try to go beyond my limits?" I ask.

"Posh that," he waved a hand dismissively, "You know as well as I do that limitations are for amateurs. No, you are a fit possessor of your Starstone because you understand the nature of Balance, of walking in the grey between the dawn and the twilight, avoiding absolutes of every kind. You know why there is a shadow to counterbalance the light, and you do not attempt to cleanse the world of all of its injustice. Imposing your will upon reality is but the first step towards true evil. Sauron made that mistake long ago, and so did Melchior before him..."

"Right," I reply, "And the road to Mordor is paved with good intentions."

"Sure was in my day," he sniffed through his beard and mustache, "And as old as I am, what I've seen throughout this long Fourth Age only confirms my belief that true evil begins when a pure soul tries to live without shadow. I've seen many a bright and promising career come to an end because such purity is impossible to sustain, that virtue is found through moderating our impulses and accepting that we have finite boundaries separating our own wisdom from that of the Totality of the Godmind. To no one power or god was the entire truth ever bestowed, rather in all of us there exists some fragment of the greater truth, and that is why we each have our own distinctive part to play in the greater scheme of the Cosmos."

"I'll keep that in mind, Teacher," I assure him as I head to the door, "You've been a bit help, like always. Good luck on your next book...um. Just for the record, what pen name are you planning on using this time, J.R.R?"

"Fiddlesticks," he snorted, "I'm sure I'll think up something appropriate. Wouldn't do to have those no-account relatives of mine on the Estate getting their claws into the copyrights. I tell you, sometimes they remind me a little too much of the Sackville-Baggins...greedy little buggers that they were, now long gone like the rest of the Shire, sadly..."

"Well, you know what they say about that," I say as I head out the door and back into his well tended garden, "As long as you remember them, they're not really fully gone, and I liked the movies they made of your books."

"Piffle," I hear him dismissively snort before I take my leave of the old Luddite, chuckling to myself at the Storyteller's desire for purity in his own works, which largely contradicted his speech about needing to seek a healthy balance.

My next destination looms before me, but I'm aware that time may be moving against me, that even larger events are afoot than I'm aware of and that whatever my quarry is planning, it's bound to be something big to involve this many curiously talented people.

Imagine my surprise when I find myself in a Japanese version of Hogwarts, but a few polite inquiries get me on good stead with the Academy staff, and soon I'm learning about how a group of odd travelers dropped in for a brief stay before making off with one of their more precocious and promising students. This story just keeps getting weirder and weirder the more I investigate, but now it's starting to take on a very troublesome pattern, especially when I contrast the talents of this particular version of Saotome with what I know regarding the other versions already gathered up by the time shift.

Of even more alarming nature is the discovery that not everyone vanished together, that of those strangers who had found themselves at the Academy quite a number of injured and crucified parties had been left behind to be attended to by the local healers, including a Romanized version of Genma and Nodoka Saotome. It's like they had been brought here for medical attention then left behind while the responsible party made off with the real prize. Oh yeah...I'm definitely reading a pattern into this, and if what I find on the next stop turns out to be true then I'm reasonably certain that this Celestine guy is hatching a plot ten times more devious than what I had been expecting.

Like I said before, I hate these "easy" assignments...

Time Patrol Central Nexus of Worlds,  
Residential Block, Saotome Residence

Meiko knew that she was being disobedient by spying on her older sister, but curiosity was too strong an inducement for her to try and force sleep into her system while she was still so wired up at the discovery of her long-lost family (not to mention a delayed effect of the loss of her adopted father-slash-uncle). Besides, hearing that Ranko was a martial artist like those guys in the movies make Meiko eager to see how good the redhead was, and for that reason she had followed her older sister out into the dojo that was a situated at the side to the house in the same walled off yard that combined both Japanese and Western architectural construction. She was reasonably sure that she could justify her curiosity with Ranko since the older girl clearly did not have that much experience around children and thus was a pushover for any excuse that Meiko might happen to make up.

However, once she was able to spy on Ranko while her sister started working out, Meiko got a real eye-full of seeing the redheaded girl stretching out in what looked more like a leotard rather than a gi. Being American, the near-nudity did not particularly upset her and she rather enjoyed seeing how taut and limber her sister was by studying her muscle trim while Ranko stretched out and got herself ready.

Then Ranko began the first of her katas...and that was when Meiko's eyes truly doubled in size, for what her sister demonstrated was nothing less that totally amazing!

From a standing position Ranko could punch, kick, leap high and do a full spin with her foot lashing out like a whip, hissing the air with a speed that was totally superhuman. Ranko proceeded to execute a number of complicated punches, kicks and flips as she took out or disabled a large number of imagination opponents, moving fluidly from one movement to the next and striking out with casual ease before settling down again and beginning her kata training in full deadly earnest.

From there Meiko watched as an amazing spectacle of physical and mental discipline unfolded before her eyes, watching Ranko flow from one series of blindingly-swift movements followed by another until Meiko was exhausted just from watching Ranko in full motion. The acrobatic agility on display put to shame the best CGI effects she had ever seen in a movie (even the ones she would sneak in to see with friends due to the fact that they had an "R" or "PG-13" rating), and yet her newly discovered older sister made it seem entirely natural even when moving her body in ways that did not appear anatomically possible, let alone human!

But then, at long last, Ranko paused to catch her breath, breathing hard as thought she had been going full-out for a full hour instead of the mere fifteen minutes her display had taken in real time. Meiko watched, scarcely daring to breathe herself as Ranko slowly calmed herself down and took more time drawing in deep breaths, and then she stood with legs wide-braced, squaring her stance and arching her shoulders before she tensed up again, this time no longer moving but just standing there clenching her fists and concentrating.

For a time nothing appeared to happen, but then Meiko's eyes widened once again as she felt something like electrical tension fill the air, and all at once she felt something inside of Ranko rising up from within like a revived dormant volcano. To her amazement she saw a faint glowing aura begin to surround her sister as Ranko brought two hands together and drew in yet more force, slowly concentrating it between her hands until a ball of intensified light appeared, growing in size as she concentrated until it was bigger than a basketball, and then Ranko moved her hands forward and emitted a piercing cry as she unleashed the force that she had gathered.

"MAKO TAKABISHI!"

The ball of energy shot from her hands and expanded like a cannon shot into a blast on indescribable intensity that shot down to one end of the dojo and struck a target that was centered there, blasting into it with force enough to put a hole through a main battle tank. Meiko rocked back and covered her ears at the furious noise this created and for the next several seconds hunkered down with her eyes closed to ride it out, but at last the volume was spent and she dared look again, her ears still ringing.

Ranko stood perfectly calm and studied the target while she panted once again, looking only mildly strained by her exertions. At the far end of the dojo the blackened target stood in mute testimony to the incredible force it had withstood while a digital reading displayed a set of numbers that made little sense to Meiko.

"Force Rating Fourteen-Point-Two," an automated voice related from all around the chamber, making Meiko aware that there must have been a hidden computer somewhere about the otherwise normal-seeming dojo.

"Hah, two points improvement," Ranko grinned to herself and muttered, "Beat that, Old Man, a full point-five points better than when you were my age..."

"Yes," a voice remarked, startling Meiko as it did not sound computerized but rather old and wheezy, "Quite a display all right. And here I'd wondered if you'd been slacking off since you left my schooling."

"Huh?" Ranko whirled around, only to suddenly find something clenched to her chest...or rather...someone who looked like a lawn gnome minus the hat, glomping the redhead and rubbing his face into her chest.

"COWABUNGA!" the little man said happily, "Ranko-chan, how I've missed you!"

"GAAAAHHHH!" Ranko screamed before belting the little man with a fist that drove him to the floor like a hammer. Much to Meiko's surprise he sprang back up again as though unhurt by the blow and cupped his hands together as he confronted Ranko, smiling.

"Ranko-chan, how you've grown!" the little man cried happily.

Ranko was panting once again with her eyes as wide as saucers, but to Meiko's further surprise she began to calm down before she said, "M-M-Master Happy? B-  
B-But...?"

"Is that all you have to say, girl?" the little man poked her in the side with a finger, "What have they been feeding you anyway? You're practically skin and bones! Granted there's more muscle than when I last checked, and you do look a little older, but still..."

"H-H-How?" Ranko raised her head and cried, "Computer, freeze program!"

"Specify which program you wish to have frozen," said that curiously disembodied voice once again.

"Ah..." Ranko paused to consider, "You're not running any personalized simulation programs, are you?"

"No personality programs are currently in operation at this time," the computer replied, "Do you wish to activate one?"

"Um...not yet," Ranko looked at the little man before her once again then said, "It's really you, Master? But...I don't understand...how could this...?"

"Hmmm..." Happosai was no longer standing before her but at moved to the nearest wall, which he was poking with a finger, "Thought there was something a little off about this place. It's not real, is it? This is some kind of fancy manipulation of light spells that only seems solid but is just a bunch of forcefields held in place by a series of projectors. That explains the weird way the energy is flowing through this chamber, not at all natural..."

"You don't approve?" Ranko arched a crimson eyebrow.

"Didn't say that," Happosai turned around, "In fact, it makes sense for you to train in a place like this. Less stuff to break and all that, and considering how good you've gotten with Chi-manipulation and all that, you'd need a forcefield just to keep you from blowing the whole place to smithereens. In fact, you've improved a lot in an amazingly short time, my dear girl. If anything you're better than your father was when he was your age..."

"I ought to be," Ranko replied, "I've been training for a year since I last saw you, Gramps."

"A whole year you say?" Happosai arched both eyebrows, "Just what is this place anyway? I know we're not on Earth, I can feel the difference all around me..."

"We're not on Earth," Ranko explained, glancing around, "This place is actually part of the living complex attached to the Time Patrol Central in a part of Limbo called the Nexus of Worlds. It was created a long time ago by the group I now work for. I'm a cadet training to become a Time Agent, somebody who crosses through space and time to fix problems when they arise to threaten reality as we know it..."

"A Time Cadet you say?" Happosai arched both brows again with a shrewd expression, "Haven't met one of those in ages. So, that's who your parents are working for is it? I kind of thought Ranma looked a bit old and grim compared to the boy I knew long ago, and that Nabiki...whoohoo! Has she ever blossomed into a stunning fox! Doesn't even look thirty by my lights, and those breasts of hers...can't wait to squeeze them!"

"Ah...I wouldn't recommend that, Old Man," Ranko advised, "Mom's pretty tough these days. She trained to be a Lore Master you see and..."

"Oh," Happosai waved a hand dismissively, "One of those, huh? Just like a certain niece of mine...those are nothing but trouble, let me tell you..."

"Hey!" Ranko protested, "Mom's not...!"

"So," Happosai smiled, "How have you been getting on? How's it feel to be part of a family life again? Your aunt makes a pretty fine mother from the looks of things, not at all like the self-centered and money-grubbing mercenary I remember so well, the kind who'd charge you a thousand yen just for asking her opinion?"

"Ah...well, she's not that bad to be around," Ranko relaxed somewhat, "But what about you, Master? I mean...Gramps. How can you be here? I mean...how did you get in past the protective guards and all that...?"

"Funny thing about that," Happosai inclined his head and seemed genuinely puzzled, "One minute I was indulging in my usual harmless occupation, gathering up my beauties from blushing babes who would hardly miss them, when all of a sudden everything froze all around me. It was the most peculiar thing, going one minute from carefree and at peace to suddenly standing stock still like some kind of wax-covered figuring, unable to move so much as a muscle. It was pretty darn infuriating, let me tell you."

"You mean...you were aware of what happened the whole time?" Ranko's eyes widened.

"Sure was," Happosai replied, "Couldn't do anything for the longest time, but then I started to use my head and reckoned this was some kind of spell that was holding the whole world in check. Had to concentrate on a variety of techniques I knew before I hit on just the right one that could unfreeze me, and then I was suddenly able to move again even while the whole world itself remained frozen in mid-motion. Wasn't the only one to achieve this either...that niece of mine I mentioned before could do it, and so could a few wizards of my acquaintance."

"Wow," Ranko straightened up and relaxed, "I had no idea...I thought the whole dimension was rendered into virtual stasis."

"Yes," Happosai eyed his former pupil suspiciously, "You wouldn't happen to know how that was done, would you? When me and the others compared notes we figured that someone had to have changed history to render an entire planet into virtual limbo."

"Um...well..." Ranko paused to say, "I did...kind of change the past a little," she touched her pendant and said, "This came to me a year ago, it gave me the ability to move through time and space at will, though usually it does it automatic, without me ordering it and all that. Thing is, I asked to see what became of my parents and..."

"And you acted to prevent your mother from killing everyone?" Happosai nodded slowly, "No wonder...that explains everything. Ordinarily you can't change your past, Ranko-chan, but with a sufficiently powerful item to back you it might be possible to affect the course of events, but once you do so then the world you came from can no longer exist as a stable reality, and you effectively cancel out your own existence."

"Um...actually," Ranko said sheepishly, "I wear the pendant to remind me of a time when I had to have it on me to keep from vanishing into Limbo. Now a days there's no danger since I've moved away from what I was and stabilized my pattern, but Meiko..."

"Ah yes," Happosai mused, "Cute child...your sister I take it? Always wondered what happened to Akane's unborn baby. She's listening in right now, in case you're wondering about it."

"Huh?" Ranko blinked then turned to one side and saw the fearful expression of her younger sister, gasping, "Meiko-chan? But..."

Knowing it was useless to pretend otherwise, Meiko meekly moved into the dojo and stood with a worried expression as though fearing to be yelled at. When no yelling started she began to relax a little, only to notice the bracelet on her arm as if for the first time ever.

"I see," Happosai noted, "That's a device to hold her pattern stable so she doesn't fade away...very clever that. And in a year or two her body will gradually adjust and stabilize so she won't need to wear it any more. That explains why you and your parents went back to our world in order to fetch her."

"Meiko-chan," Ranko softly chided, "Didn't anyone ever tell you that it's rude to eavesdrop?"

"I didn't mean anything bad by it," Meiko defended herself, adding a wary, "You're not mad at me, are you?"

"Oh silly," Ranko opened her arms and said, "Come here, you little scamp."

Relieved at being met with acceptance rather than condemnation, Meiko ran up into the arms of her sister and embraced her. Ranko knelt down to hug her tightly before saying, "Meiko-chan...I love you, I could never really be angry with you, even when you disobey me and don't go to sleep like a good little girl ought to..."

"Do tell?" Happosai mused, "Doesn't seem all that long ago to me when you were the one who refused to go to bed when someone said to..."

"Get stuffed, Old Man," Ranko said in affectionate reproval, continuing to hold her sister tightly.

"Anyhow," Happosai rocked back and forth on his heals and continued, "After doing some exploring I felt this curious pull that drew me to San Francisco...didn't know what it was, but since I couldn't find you I decided to investigate. Been years since I last went to America to ogle the Western cuties. California's just full of blonde and redheaded goddesses, you know, much more than you find in Tokyo. What a shame I could only look but not touch those cuties, but it was hard enough just finding food that I could unfreeze long enough to eat...well, imagine my surprise when everything suddenly comes to life all of a sudden and these California goddesses come to full-life motion?"

"Bet you were in hog heaven," Ranko said as she partially let go of Meiko in order to turn to view he former master.

"Just a bit," Happosai said, "But then I noticed a powerful burst of Chi was in effect, and who should I see stopping a truck in its tracks but a grown up version of your father. That was when I saw you and your mother standing out from the crowds, and this little cutie was with you. Well, no sooner do I start to put things together but I feel the world starting to lock up again, so I followed you through some kind of dimensional aperture and wound up in a different version of the same city. By that time I figured you three were somehow causing a transference, so I bided my time again until the next dimensional crossover...and that's how I followed you and wound up here. Pretty neat, huh?"

"Yeah, I'm impressed, Old Timer," Ranko replied, "But if I were you I wouldn't be here when my parents get back, not if you want to remain healthy."

"But how would that look if I ran from my own great-great-grandchildren?" Happosai pouted, "Besides, it's only right as the Grand Master of the Anything Goes school if I greeted Ranma like a proper heir and complimented him on winding up with a Hot Dish like your Aunt Nabiki..."

"Ah...that might not be such a great idea," Ranko said dubiously, "Dad's...well...not the same guy you might remember. In fact, he's pretty much close to the toughest thing on two legs that I've ever had to go up against, except for one guy we had to fight a while back. Well...let's just say he's not as fond of you, and he's tough enough to pulverize a mountain with his bare hands, while Mom..."

"Now, now," Happosai chided, "Why don't you let me worry about how to handle those two? Besides, aren't you going to properly introduce me to your bright-  
eyed little sister?"

"Ah..." Ranko turned to the dark haired girl whom she was still holding and said, "Meiko-chan...this is Master Happosai, the one who trained me when I was a tad-pole your age. He's also, well...kind of like family, so..."

"Kind of like family?" Happosai rocked an eyebrow, "I thought I told you to have more respect for your elders than that, Girl."

"Yeah, bite me," Ranko pleasantly responded.

"M-Master Happosai?" Meiko asked, "Are you really my great-great-grandfather?"

"Sure am, little girl," Happosai said pleasantly, "And aren't you just the cutest thing around? You remind me so much of your mother, only there's a lot of your father in you too, I see..."

Ranko resisted the impulse to tense up as she eyed her former mentor, the one who had taken her on a years-long quest to become a great martial artist, which also involved teaching her the ins and out of laundry stealing and other such perversions. She reminded herself of a little-known secret about Happosai, that he only reserved his groping for girls past the age of puberty and never, never, NEVER did the same thing with children. She had only become an object of lust around him once she had started growing breasts, after all, and he never took it beyond the groping phase. There were limits to just how perverse he could be, otherwise she would NEVER have allowed him within a hundred meters of Meiko.

"Really?" Meiko asked, all innocent and unsuspecting, "Did you also train my Dad?"

"Sure did," Happosai said brightly, "Although with him I was somewhat late in shaping his abilities since I spent ten years napping and left the duty of raising him to his father. You, on the other hand, I can see great things for you, and with a bit of the right sort of training you might well become a passable martial artist, just like your older sister here."

"You mean that?" Meiko's eyes widened even more than seemed humanly possible, "I could do stuff like her? But..."

"I know, girl," Happosai waved a reassuring hand, "You were raised in America and they do things different than we do in Japan. You'll have to unlearn a lot of the nonsense they taught you growing up, but since you were raised in China Town, you're bound to have witnessed a few things that defy normal rational comprehension, am I right?"

"Well..." Meiko reluctantly conceded.

All at once the whole room shook violently all around them, and Ranko instinctively grabbed Meiko up in her arms while bracing her body to withstand the force, riding it out until the sensation had passed altogether.

"Oh my," Happosai glanced around in surprise, "Is this thing programmed to produce earthquakes?"

"No," Ranko said as she looked up in surprise, "Computer! What the heck was...?"

"Unknown at this time," the computer replied, then suddenly a voice broke in and said, "Hey, Kid! You all right in there? Answer me, damn-!"

"I'm okay, Pop...just a little shaken," Ranko replied in what she hoped would be a reassuring voice, "What the heck was that thing? I'm working out in the dojo when all of a sudden-AAAWWWKKK!"

The room shook violently once again, only this time it stopped as abruptly as it began, and then a weirdly disembodied voice remarked, "I'm so sorry about this, but I can't allow you to communicate with your parents at this time, not until I do what I have come to do..."

"Huh?" Ranko let go of Meiko and stood up, instantly on the defensive as she whirled around and said, "Show yourself! Where...!"

"Right there, girl!" Happosai pointed, "Can't you see it?"

"Huh?" Ranko looked, only to notice the glowing object that was hovering in mid-  
air, which also was manifesting an incredible amount of power, a weird fusion of some sort of face-like totem surrounding a crystal the size of a goose egg, "What...?"

"My identity is not important at this time," the object related, "But I am afraid that I am going to have to borrow your sister for a while. I promise not to harm her, but I am in need of a body."

"What?" Ranko blurted.

"My great-great grandchild?" Happosai's eyes narrowed, "I don't think so."

"M-Me?" Meiko asked in mild amazement.

"I regret that there is not time enough to explain," the object informed them, "But time is a luxury that I have in short supply, so..."

All at once the room was swept by a wave of force that emanated from the object, picking up Ranko and Meiko and hurling them up against the far wall with bone-  
jarring effect that left both martial artists stunned for several instants before either of them could recover.

Once she had shrugged off the impact, however, Ranko looked up in time to see the object descending upon Meiko and coming to rest upon the child's small breast, forming into a golden pendant as a chain materialized around her, and then Meiko expanded in size and dimensions, taking on a masculine contour as a weird garment replaced her pajamas and she stood tall in the eyes of her astonished redheaded sister.

"Again I apologize," said the strange man who had taken the place of her younger sister, "But it is necessary for me to use this child for a time, though I promise that she will come to no harm while she is under my protection."

He raised his arm and stared at the metal band there, and then all at once it shattered and fell to the floor in pieces.

"NO!" Ranko cried, forcing her body to ignore the pain as she started to lurch forward, only to see the man disappear in a swirl of energy, which prompted her to cry, "NOOOOO!" as she increased her momentum.

She had almost managed to reach her intended goal when the strange man faded out altogether, and then Ranko found herself plunging through a gap created in the temporal field as she left the dojo behind and wound up tumbling between the limbo of alternate dimensions.

Seconds later her father and mother burst into the room, followed closely by the Goddess, Peorth. They looked around but found the dojo empty...all save for one old man laying sprawled in a corner, his eyes moving in circles as he murmured faintly, "Somebody get the number of that vortex?"

"YOU!" Ranma cried, crossing the distance in an instant before grabbing up the perverted old master and shaking him like a leaf, "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MEIKO AND RANKO, YOU OLD CREEP? TELL ME NOW OR SO HELP ME I'LL BREAK EVERY BONE IN YOUR BODY AND TURN YOU INTO A GREASY PASTE AND-!"

"Subtle, isn't he?" Peorth remarked.

"Ranma," Nabiki spoke sharply, modulating her voice to get her husband's attention.

"What?" he snapped.

"That's not the way to get information out of grandfather Happosai," Nabiki patiently explained as she moved forward to take his place, gently prying his hands loose from the throat of the strangling old pervert, "You need to use subtlety and persuasion. Allow me to demonstrate."

Happosai was just beginning to come back into his wits when he saw who was holding him by the lapels and said, "N-Nabiki-chan...?"

All at once her face became as hard as flint and her eyes began glowing. He could literally feel the power she commanded flowing up her arms and into his body as she hissed in deadly warning, "Tell us what became of Ranko and Meiko now or I will reduce you to your constituent molecules and make you wish that you had stayed in virtual limbo."

Happosai's eyes widened and for a moment he was genuinely frightened.

"Subtle," Peorth remarked.

"Yet somehow surprisingly effective," Ranma duly noted.

"I'll talk!" Happosai squeaked, "But...you're not going to like the answer..."

"Try me," Nabiki responded with a voice so cold that even Death was flinching.

"Something took her!" Happosai blurted out, "Looked like some kind of glowing face, about the size of a locket, only surrounding this jewel and..."

"Did this face have a name?" Peorth asked sharply.

"Didn't say," Happosai replied, "But it tossed me and Ranko around like we were rag dolls, and then it...it somehow merged with Meiko-chan, and then she changed...transformed into this guy..."

"Describe him with your mind," Peorth said as she extended a hand and her eyes suddenly became quite vibrant.

"If you don't mind," Nabiki said, "I'd like to do the interrogation here, Mother..." her tone fell away as she suddenly had an image, which itself became a projection that even Ranma could see, shimmering into existence a meter away from the old man and bringing a hiss of recognition from Peorth, whose eyes abruptly widened.

"Celestine!" she uttered, "But...?"

"My apologies to you if you are seeing this," the voice began to say, "But it was necessary for me to borrow your child. I have a use for her that is very urgent, but I promise to return her unharmed when I am done with my mission..."

"Mission?" Ranma balled his hands until they were bone white, "What mission?"

"You will learn why in good time," the image continued like an automatic recording, "But for now be assured that I have only the highest of motives and do not wish to see any innocent suffer. Be assured that I intend no malice towards you and regret the necessity of my actions. Be seeing you soon, but until then fare well."

The image faded out again, leaving Peorth to murmur, "Celestine...but how? He couldn't be back already...but that means...?"

"You know that creep?" Ranma asked as he glanced towards the Goddess.

"Yes," Peorth replied, "He was my elder growing up, and he was the mentor of Belldandy. Some centuries ago, when we were both very young, he led a rebellion against the System Lords of Heaven, but his revolt was put down and the Gods locked him away for all eternity..."

"You mean...like a fallen Angel?" Nabiki asked as she continued to hold Happosai at arms length.

"Something like that," Peorth replied, "But Celestine is no ordinary devil. He recently cropped up again on Continuum #10432875, which is one of the continuums under my direct supervision, and he came within just a hairsbreadth of destroying everything. He's absolutely brilliant and completely ruthless, but he's not a malevolent figure and he's quite dedicated to the idea that he can somehow create a better universe than the one that is currently in existence."

"Oh, wonderful," Ranma snorted, "How did you beat this guy the last time?"

"It wasn't easy," Peorth admitted, "It took the combined powers of Belldandy, Urd and Skuld to reshape the program, but the end result was that Celestine learned the error of his ways and submitted himself to the review of Heaven. His sentence was therefore commuted into a Community Service, and by all accounts he's getting along just fine in his new job...only..."

"Only this version isn't a reformed Celestine, is it, Mother?" Nabiki said, "This's the Celestine from a timeline where he has not yet learned the error of his ways."

"I'm afraid so," Peorth's eyes went wide, "Belldandy-!"

"Huh?" Ranma asked, "What about her?"

"She was Celestine's disciple...he implanted a program into her that lay dormant for centuries until it was activated!" Peorth revealed, "He used her to gain access to the central relays of Yggdrasil...I wonder if he actually carried out his plans on that timeline? If so...then the results would be a disaster!"

"In other words he must come from a wrecked timeline, huh?" Ranma said, "So he's going to try to do the same thing again, only this time he's using my kid." His eyes glowed crimson as he softly growled, "Ain't gonna happen if I have anything to say about it..."

"Let us hope that there is still time," Nabiki said as she let go of Happosai and tested the air with a hand, "I can sense a residual trace of a dimensional vortex...it took a lot of raw power to punch a hole through the protective timefield, but that means he left a mark that even a novice Lore Master, or a Hibiki, could follow blind-folded."

"You don't say?" Ranma scowled even more, "That sounds almost too easy..."

"You mean...like a trap?" Peorth nodded, "That would be my reading of the situation. As honorable as he might seem at times, Celestine is not one to be lightly trusted."

"I suspect you are right on this, Mother," Nabiki frowned, "This does appear to be a trap, not that it would stop either of us from going after our daughters."

"Yeah, well, I'm like that," Ranma shrugged, "But you're the one who's supposed to be always cautioning me about stuff like this, 'Biki."

"As if I'd let you have all the fun to yourself, Ranma-kun," Nabiki sniffed, "And please stop calling me 'Biki."

"Together then?" Peorth asked with a smile, and as one all three of them started moving forward, shifting through the gap created between dimensions.

"Hey, wait for me!" cried a recovering Happosai, who barely managed to duck through in time to grasp hold of the trailing ends of Peorth's rather odd looking costume.

The room pulsed and then was still, and then it went into system lock, awaiting the return of its occupants as the Time Cops were once again on the trail of impending disaster...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Celestine Prophesies: shadowmane

Celestine's plans begin to be revealed as Ranko rushed to the rescue of her sister with her parents hot upon her trail, but will they arrive in time, and will Chakar know what hits him when his wife catches up with his ass? Be here next time for: "Ranko and Bass," or, "That was no White Shark, that was my wife!" Be there!

X -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: ~ All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	10. Chapter 10

RanWarp10

Realities Warped!

By Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi and other artists too numerous to mention.  
The Characters Chakar Shadowmane and Garimel Shalestar, however, was created by me, while Nicole (Dreiser) Manders provided some of the ideas that appear within this chapter.  
Use by anyone else is strictly verboten and will tend to get you in trouble with us unless permission is obtained first...and you don't want to meet my agent when she comes calling, and there are times when she scares even me, believe me!)

Chapter Ten.

Lord of the Prance

Continuum #52413783 Gate of Ashkalon

"Say what?" said Doc Saotome.

"You're the clown behind this?" Super Ran asked with a lifted eyebrow.

"Careful," cautioned Wizard Ranma, "I sense power in his aura...he's nobody you wanna take lightly."

"Foul sorcery," spat Gaius, "Never trust a God or a Devil, assuming you could even tell one from the other..."

"Careful now there, my lad," Hobbit Ranma warned, "There's no need to be rash about this. Let's just take it calm and try to sort out what this bloke is up to."

"Fair words of wisdom, I think," said the Samurai Ranma with eyes narrowed to mere slits, "Only a fool rushes to attack without fully considering all of the options.

"This is nuts!" protested Ranma Saotome as he looked from his six counterparts to the oddly dressed man holding sway over those assembled.

"I assure you that I am quite serious in this endeavor," replied the oddly dressed figure who gave his name only as Celestine, "I have gone to some considerable trouble to orchestrate this meeting, but now that you are all here, I believe that I should proceed to pare down your numbers a bit and get rid of some of the excess."

"I have heard enough!" cried "Silver Samurai" Tatewaki Kuno as he drew his enchanted blade and cried, "You have meddled with our lives at your peril, now 'tis time to reap the consequences!"

"I'm with you, Brother," said the version of Tatewaki dressed in a knight's tabard, hauberk and standard, drawing his own straighter sword and crying, "For Asgard and for Justice!"

Celestine seemed more amused than concerned with this display and said, "I believe that we can start with the pretender to Hachiman's blade and his paladin counterpart." He thus waved a hand and caused both versions of Tatewaki Kuno to abruptly vanish.

"Brother dear!" cried the Kodachi wearing the sleek, revealing jet-black armor, who then whirled and aimed her hands while crying, "AKAGIYAMA MISSILES-!"

"I think not," Celestine replied and with another wave of his hand caused both her, the lady Nocturna and the leather clad Kodachi to similarly vanish.

"My lady!" two versions of Nabiki cried together.

"Kodachi-chan!" the Mousse with Angel-wings upon his back whirled to face Celestine while crying, "What have you done with her, you monster...?"

"Why, I have merely deleted her from the presence," Celestine replied, "She is quite unharmed, merely dismissed back to her home realities and no worse for her travels, especially in the one who was so recently resurrected."

"You toy with the lives of others as if we were mere playthings?" the Dark Mallard growled, "Then it is you who should feel the lash of Jus-!"

Abruptly he, the winged Mousse and the one wearing horn-rimmed glasses all vanished out together.

"Mousse!" cried the Ryoga clutching at his pet pig.

"That it!" the Incredible Oni cried as he drew back with both fists, "NOW RYOGA SMASH!"

"No, wait!" cried the normal seeming Ryoga.

"You're just going to...!" the tusked Ryoga started to warn when all four of them vanished out together.

"Ryoga-kun!" cried several of the Akanes in chorus.

"Now then, is that everyone we can afford to spare?" Celestine asked as he surveyed those who were remaining, "Yes, I think this does simplify things a bit. I might have to whittle things down a bit more just to get the right configuration, but the essential players are now separated from the dross of the would-be pretenders, so I think this will make a nice, tidy group to begin with."

"Begin?" asked Goblin Nabiki, "Begin what?"

"OH MY," remarked the 54 foot tall Kasumi.

"Oh, you're still here?" Celestine chanced to notice the woman in whose shadow many of the others were standing, "My apologies, I'll see to that little detail right away."

"But...!" one of the Kasumis started to protest when she, the Giantess, the Samurai and the toga-clad Kasumi all vanished together.

"My lady Cassandra!" Tiberius declared before glaring back at the one who was the cause of all that had happened, "You devil, how dare you so lightly toss us about as though we were mere playthings!"

"I am sorry if it appears to you that way," Celestine explained, "This isn't really about you or your personal life stories. I need you to complete a formula that I have been working on for some time now on my own continuum. You see, each of you is a part of a much larger puzzle that I must craft in order to achieve my ambitions. Where you are is Ashkalon, one of the Gates leading to the Heavens, and here I have summoned you to begin my quest to remake reality into a new image..."

"Ashkalon?" the Wizard Ranma said in alarm, glancing around and taking in the landscape, as did many of the others.

Normal Ranma was not at all certain about what he was seeing, but to him it appeared to be a flat mesa-like plateau that they were presently standing on composed of marble tiles two or three meters in length and width, stretching out to an abrupt edge only about thirty or forty meters away from where he was standing, yet situated among hilly peaks and clouds with very little in the way of vegetation, other than the bowl of an enormous tree that stretched up in a curling manner to touch the very heavens...

And to one side was a gateway...there were no other words to describe it, formed of shimmering mother-of-pearl and alabaster pillars that framed a set of stairs that stretched upward to vanish amid the very heavens. The appearance of this gate was so startling that Ranma wondered how he could possibly have missed it until that moment, but now that he could see it clearly it made a very definite impression of a rising pathway that spiraled off to someplace beyond mortal imagination. His mind felt strangely drawn to the thing, and yet at the same time he feared it, as though to pass beyond would have meant surrendering the life that he was now leading forever. That thought alone cautioned him and made him wary of this curious sense of yearning and temptation that sprang up at the very sight of the shimmering stairway, preferring instead to remain as he was rather than risk becoming...whatever it was that the pathway was beckoning him to be.

"Whoah," said the Nabiki standing nearest to him, "What is that...?"

"I'll give you a hint," her Goblin counter part remarked, "You can't buy your way up there. I know, I already tried it."

"The Stairway to Heaven?" said the Ukyo who looked like a medieval version of Rambo, "It's real? I'd heard the legends, but..."

"Aiyaa..." said four versions of Shampoo in moderated chorus.

"The Gateway of Ashkalon?" the Wizard Ranma turned back, "You've gotta be kidding! No mortal being can pass through those gates, only Gods and Immortals can enter without surrendering their physical bodies..."

"Actually, I do not need for you to pass beyond the portal," Celestine replied, "It is enough that I have brought you here where I can employ your pattern to bait the trap that I am setting. That is why you were separated from your offspring of the future timelines that you hail from...so that you may each play your part in the greater scheme of what I have created."

"What you have created?" Doc Saotome said archly.

"You meddle with our lives and feel justified doing this?" one of the Akanes said in outrage.

"Yeah, what gives you the right?" Ranko asked, then amended, "Other than being a God, that is..."

"Not my God, Sugar," Ukyo the Ranger declared as she fingered her bow and seemed to eye Celestine as though he were her next target.

"Um...just for the record," Xian-Pu remarked, "Just what exactly did you do with our...children?"

"Please forgive me," Celestine replied, "I do not mean to be rude, but I am on a very close timeshare and cannot spare the energy to explain everything to you at the present. If this works, then we may well have the time to indulge in a lengthy discussion of the merits of my calculations..."

"What do you mean if it works?" the Ukyo in coveralls asked with a disquieted expression.

"Do you really want to know the answer to that one...Sugar?" the Nabiki beside her murmured back.

"Yes," Celestine said as he waved a hand dismissively, "I don't mean to be curt, but..."

And like that they all collectively vanished.

"...You will just have to wait and see what happens next," Celestine said as he lowered his arm then glanced around, "Hmmm...everything appears to be in readiness...now all that remains is for the final players to make their entrance and we can get this program started. Much to do and so little time before they figure out what I am up to upstairs. Yes indeed...so little time left to remake a cosmos..."

And with those words hanging in the air he vanished from sight...had there been any eyes present who might have spotted him making his exit...

Limbo Realm Nether Space Between Dimensions

"Hello...anybody? Heeelllp!"

Ranko could barely hear her own words over the roaring winds that tried to suck her down into the black maw that beckoned below her. She was clinging desperately to the edge of a cliff with no real sense of how she had arrived in this strange, unfathomable place. All she knew was that the instant she had arrived she was attacked by...something...and by the time she had managed to fight it off she had been near the edge of a sheer drop into a whirling void, literally caught between Scyla and Carybdis with nothing to anchor herself against the pull that was hungrily attempting to devour her, and for reasons that utterly escaped her, her "stupid" pendant did not seem to be working.

"C'mon, damn you, get me out of here!" she glared down at the dormant thing then raised her voice and said, "Can anybody hear me? Dad? Mom? Master Happosai? Anybody?"

A strange growling noise overrode the scream of the winds in her ears, and then a lumbering shape pressed itself through the dark gray mass of her surroundings, and then she saw it in all its massive ugliness, a hideous creature roughly shaped like a Troll but with a face that would frighten an ogre. It made a guttural noise of inquiry as it stared down at Ranko, curiosity and hunger plainly written upon its misshapen features, promptly Ranko to amend, "Except him!"

The creature seemed to ponder for a few seconds before making up its mind and reaching down with a square-fingered hand that looked like it could wrap around a tree and use it for a toothpick. Ranko was picked up and lifted back over the edge by the creature, who dangled her at upside-down eye level as though to study her more closely, sniffing as though to confirm that she was something tasty, then opening its mouth and giving her the stink of its breath, not to mention a good look at its rows of teeth, bot incisors and molars.

"Ugh...use a breath mint!" Ranko winced, "Um...I mean...nice monster...you want to help me, right? You're really not a bad little monster, so you don't really want to...?"

All at once she was lifted up high as the creature tilted its head up and opened wide, presenting Ranko with a clear view of the path from its mouth to its gullet as she fought to try and avoid her certain fate if she allowed that thing to crunch down upon her nubile body.

But then a meaty "CHUNK" caused the creature to stagger, and then its mouth closed as it attempted to bring its jaws back together, only to find an arrow lodged between the top and bottom halves of its mouths, making the gesture futile, not to mention causing it a great deal of pain, though it was obviously too stupid to know this for a few seconds.

Another arrow hit the wrist attached to the hand that was holding her up, and suddenly Ranko was in free-fall once again. Unfortunately she was once more dangling over the edge of oblivion and had no way of reaching the cliff this time to prevent a certain fall. She wildly flailed with both hands looking for some way to find a purchase...

...And instead encountered a soft-yet-strong-and-feminine hand that caught her and prevented her from being sucked into the void of forever.

"Got you, Oneechan!" she cried as her rescuer swung her up onto the back part of a saddle that seemed to materialize underneath her, "Sure know how to cut it close, don't you? Good thing you're not much heavier than me..."

"Huh?" Ranko asked as her hands automatically went around the waist of the armored dark haired woman who was piloting this...flying horse? A Pegasus? She blinked her eyes and gasped, "Who...?"

"Hold that thought a second, Sis!" her rescuer urged as she gripped the horse with both knees and drew back on the bow she carried, knocking and aiming in the blink of an eye before aiming true with a silver-tipped arrow and sending it flying into the unprotected back of the creature.

It gave a pitiable yelp and stumbled over the edge of oblivion, then plummeted into the gaping maw of a whirlwind that sucked it up entirely as though it were a pebble in an hourglass, vanishing completely.

"Got him," the girl commanding their winged mount declared in obvious self-  
congratulations, "Those Shambling Ones are nasty brutes, little better than ogres without the table manners, but they're far from the worst things you can encounter here in the Twilight Realms. Lucky for you I was homing in on your life signal or I might not have arrived in time for staging a rescue..."

"Who are you?" Ranko asked as she found herself in debt to a total stranger, "How do you know me?"

"Just hold on a second while I take us down," the girl replied, "Ryaela's picked a good landing spot where we ought to be relatively unmolested...at least for the moment."

"Ryaela?" Ranko repeated.

"That's the name of my Einherriar steed, Sis," the brunette replied as the horse spread its wings wide and brought them in for a four-hoof landing, then settled in to fold its wings while the dark haired girl casually dismounted, then turned around and gave Ranko a wink, adding, "Be careful with that first step, it won't feel quite the same as landing on an air cushion."

"Uh...right," Ranko said as she climbed down and found the ground oddly spongy and yielding, not to mention a bit slimy for her bare feet, though she adjusted after a few seconds, "Okay then...who..."

She stopped herself as she got a look at a pair of mischievous blue eyes gazing back at her with a smug, knowing expression. The features were unmistakable, so familiar that Ranko would have known them in the dark, but at first she had trouble accepting the witness of her senses as she gaped in mute astonishment then murmured faintly, "You can't be...?"

"Oh yes," she said with a cheerful nod, "You know me, Sis, I'm Meiko."

"M-M-Meiko?" Ranko looked her up and down then said in disbelief, "But...you...?"

"I'm all grown up and filled out, just like you said I'd be before I knew it?" the dark haired woman in the Valkyrie armor smiled, "Yup...and pretty darn well, if I do say so myself. Like my figure? I think it shows more of Dad's influence than Mom's, don't you agree?"

"But...how...?" Ranko wanted to know.

"Now if that isn't a saga all by itself to have to relate in one sitting," Meiko rolled her eyes, "In a way I guess this is cosmic justice for what I put you through at our first meeting. I can just imagine the questions you must have, Sis, but I think it will have to wait for a bit until we sort things out a little better. Let's just say that I'm the Meiko who comes from several years in the future...like, say, six or seven years, only I did a bit of growing to catch up with you, and I've been through some adventures of my own, so..."

Ranko just stared for a moment before slapping a hand to her forehead, "Mom and Dad are gonna kill me..."

"Oh?" Meiko asked, "Why do you think that?"

"Because obviously I failed to find you in time and you got lost, that's what," Ranko answered.

"And who says you failed to find me?" Meiko had that mischievous twinkle in her eyes once again, "Honestly, Sis, you ought to know better than to jump to these conclusions."

"Huh?" Ranko asked, "I don't..."

"Yeah, I know," Meiko said, "But that's what you get with timetravel, you never know when and where you're dealing with unless you take the time to sort it out. Let's just say, for the sake of argument, that I came back in time to help you because I got word that someone was trying to bollix up my past, and we've both been through that one time too many as it is, right?"

"Uh...I guess," Ranko admitted with a sheepish expression.

"Hey, I'm not blaming you for what you did," Meiko assured her, "You helped out parents and created an entire new timeline, one that turned out batter for the both of us. Of course you made both of us into temporal orphans with no homeworld to go back to, but...well, no scheme is entirely perfect, right? The thing to remember is...the future is an open book in which you can write the destiny you want to live. You taught me that yourself...or you will one of these days. I know it seems complicated, but..."

"Tell me about it," Ranko averred, "So...do I succeed in rescuing you or not? And why won't this stupid pendant obey me?"

"First off, I can't really tell you that since for me it hasn't really happened," Meiko replied, "That Celestine guy kidnapped me out of my own past and is playing hob with my memories. I can feel the paradox effect pulling at me even as we speak, but there's still time to prevent him from majorly screwing up the rest of my life. That is, if you're willing to help me."

"Help you?" Ranko repeated, "In what way?"

"First, I've got to get you out of here to a place where it's safe to use the pendant," Meiko explained, "The reason you can't use it here is because this is the Void of Limbo, the downside of Null Space, and the tug of the Vortex of Annihilation is so strong that it could overwhelm normal dimensional transfer. Fortunately, as an Einherriar, Ryaela-chan can resist the strain and carry us to safer quadrants. Secondly, I need you and your pendant to help me round up some allies who can help us defeat the bad guy. Think you're up to it, Sis? I'll understand if you still find all of this more than a little confusing..."

"Confusing?" Ranko started to rally, "That's usually my line. Meiko-chan...I can't believe how you've grown! You look the same age that I do..."

"That's because I am the same age, Silly," Meiko chided, "Just like the Ranko I know is about six or seven years older and already a seasoned Lieutenant with the Time Force. Oh yeah...that's right, I'm just like you now...I work for the same cause."

"You what?" Ranko blinked. "That's right," Meiko replied, "I'm a time agent. I'm also a part-time Valkyrie and a lot of other things that even I have trouble keeping track of, but this really isn't a good spot for me to go into full details, other than to say that you've always been a role model for me, and it's a thrill to finally be able to rescue you for a change. Now, shall we be going? I'd like to get my eleven-year-old body back from the creep who took me."

Ranko was just beginning to sort this out when she sensed the presence of another life form...two of them by the feel of it, and both of them radiating incredible levels of power, more noticeably the closer they approached.

"Take it easy," Meiko urged, "I know those guys, they're mostly harmless."

"Mostly harmless?" Ranko cocked an eyebrow, recalling how that term had often been applied towards her father. She turned to see the two men as they walked side-by-side, arguing over something that seemed to have the both of them worked up for some reason, one man with solid black hair wearing a red costume with white trim and a half-cape, the other man a tall blond gaijin in a weird form-  
fitting black-and-red costume with a gold star emblazoned on his chest, not to mention a pair of gold bracers around his wrists that seemed to glow with an unfathomable power.

"...But I keep telling you," the blond man was telling the other guy, "This is the Negative Zone..."

"Nonsense," the powerful looking man in the red-and-white costume responded, "It's the Phantom Zone, I have it on the best authority..."

"And I have it straight from no less than Reed Richards," the blond shot back, "Besides which, my people have studied this realm for countless millennia, and the Supreme Intelligence..."

"Is an idiot from the sound of things as you describe them," the other man shot back, "The Phantom Zone was discovered by the Kryptonian race and has been used as a means of incarcerating prisoners..."

"And I am telling you it's the Negative zone!"

"The Phantom Zone."

"Negative Zone."

"Phantom Zone."

"Negative Zone!"

Ranko listened to the two men argue as they passed on by without taking a moment to so much as acknowledge their presence. Instead she heard Meiko huff, "What a couple of dorks! As if it matters what label you stick on it? It's still Limbo one way or the other..."

Ranko thought a moment on this then shrugged and said, "Men."

"Yeah," Meiko sniffed, "Tell me about it. So, wanna get going?"

"You bet," Ranko replied, "Only...where to?"

"We'll let the pendant decide...once we get back into the Light zone," Meiko answered, already moving to remount her steed as the winged horse dutifully suffered to have her once again gracing its saddle. Then Meiko reached down and offered Ranko a hand, helping to swing the other girl back onto the rear mounting, and then the horse flapped its wings and took off at a trot, becoming airborne within mere seconds.

"This guy really is yours?" Ranko had to raise her voice over the increasing volume of the winds as they sailed up into the firmament.

"You don't own an Einherriar," Meiko replied, "He chooses you, not the other way around...but yeah, he's been my mount for a couple of years now...long story how that happened. Maybe I'll tell you if there's time, or you can go through it the long way...provided we keep Celestine from using me to end all of Reality as we know it."

"He can do that?" Ranko marveled.

"Sure can, and a lot more besides," the other girl answered, guiding them through a swirling play of light and color, causing the oppressive air all around them to become as light and perfumed as though spring had come early to the mountains, "That's why we have to stop him, and quick. We're on a mission from the Gods, Oneechan, so let's get moving to our next stop 'cause I just know Mom and Dad are gonna be worried, and you know what happens when they get worried."

"Oh yeah," Ranko shuddered, having a very strong idea of just what mayhem and destruction could be in the offing if their parents were not assured as to the safety of their two adopted daughters, and it was an easy tossup which one would be more to be feared in that light, their father or mother.

A trembling sense gave her the answer she needed and she softly murmured to herself, "Oh yeah...definitely Mom, no question about it..."

"Yeah," Meiko agreed, "I found that out the hard way," and with no further words she spurred her mount on as they merged once again with the fabric of the timestream...

Continuity #09142736

"We're so sorry to have disturbed you, my Lady," Nabiki graciously bowed to the blonde-haired elvish beauty, "It was never our intent to intrude upon your solitude and stir up unpleasant memories...to say nothing of other unsavory incidents best left unspoken."

"It is quite all right," said Lady Galadriel III to her unexpected houseguests, "Your presence has stirred memories, but mostly pleasant ones of times long past when my husband and I took long walks together and shared many an adventure. I must say that it was a pleasure meeting your husband once again, and upon seeing you, my lady Nabiki, quite happy to share adventures of your own together. It makes me feel what you humans might call...nostalgic."

"I'm just sorry it was so brief for you and my counterpart," said Ranma with as much courtesy and grace as was in him, "A few years ain't much, but I'll bet my brother felt extremely lucky."

"Yes, but I was the one fortunate enough to have him by my side," the lady swept the tall dark man with eyes of luminous crystal moonlight, and her ageless features seemed to glow from within with a warmth that made Ranma feel extremely...awkward, "Mortal men are doomed to die, but while he lived my husband truly lived as men should do, to the fullest measure of his abilities. He may have lacked in grace and manners, but he made up for it with heart unmeasured, and in you I see the reflection of his carefree innocence. Do not let the shadows cloud your path, Lord Ranma...in the memory of he whom I once held so dear I bid you be at peace for all the days that are to follow."

"Uh...ain't likely to happen with my lifestyle, if you know what I mean," Ranma shrugged, uncomfortable at being praised by such a timeless beauty, "But you take care, you hear? And your kid..."

"Striding Horse is the name we gave him in our language," a brief smile of genuine mirth touched the lips of the radiant lady, "It seemed appropriate given how he has inherited his father's somewhat reckless nature..."

"Cute," Peorth remarked as she continued to hold a struggling old man at arms length, "But strangely fitting."

"Let me go!" protested Happosai, "I didn't do anything wrong! I just want to show my respects to the lady!"

Ranma forced himself to turn and see the young man looking up at him with wide blue eyes and a look of wonder touching his expression, his long brown hair done up into a warrior's braid while he was wearing an odd blend of Elvish and Chinese robes and leaning on a six-foot recurved longbow.

"Yes," Nabiki sounded both amused and saddened as she studied the boy named Istil Saotome, "I can see much of his father in the boy, almost like another youth I once knew a long time ago when my husband's days were as carefree and innocent, give or take a couple of curses."

"Are you...really my father?" the boy at last managed to stammer.

"I'm like him," Ranma replied, "I just took a different direction. You take care of your mother, Boy, that's all any man could ask. Oh yeah...and be careful about eating stuff that gets prepared by Tomboys."

The youth winced accordingly and said, "Tell me about it...there is this one lady tracker I know...I cannot decide if she is more man than lady..."

"Son," Lady Galadriel gently chided.

"Yes, Mother," the boy immediately subsided.

Ranma smiled lopsidedly as he looked at the halfelven youth, who to all appearances might seem a slender sixteen but was probably much, much older, given the natural rate of elvish maturation, and on impulse he gently chucked the boy a playful fist to his shoulder and said, "You'll do all right, Kid, just as long as you listen to your mother."

"Peace be with you all of your days," Nabiki bowed to the Elvish Princess.

"And may you have many safe journeys," Lady Galadriel replied as the Time Cops turned around and moved back into the timestream, leaving behind the woodland hills of Avalon and its glories.

"Well," Peorth sniffed, "That was certainly different. Nice to see how Celestine has not lost his sense of humor."

"Misdirected once again," Nabiki frowned, "I really hate these false trails that we keep stumbling into. Your friend is quite the clever one, I'll grant, but I won't let even a god get the better of me."

"I just wanna know why we keep winding up on timelines where things wound up so radically different," Ranma grumbled, "I mean...a me who got adopted by the Elves and died fighting off a horde of Goblins at some bridge? What next, a me who piloted an X-Wing like in Star Wars?"

"I wouldn't put it past this Celestine character," Nabiki replied as she led the way, following the trail set down by her instincts, levels of reality flowing about them as she sought the right one to merge back into, "He seems to be deliberately leading us to certain worlds...but for what, other than to delay us?"

"It's quite obvious if you think about it," Happosai spoke up, "He's obviously trying to teach Ranma here a lesson."

"Oh yeah?" Ranma asked as he eyed the annoying little man, "How you figure that, Pervert?"

"Open your eyes and see for yourself, my boy," Happosai scowled as Peorth continued to keep a firm grip upon his collar, "What's the one thing in common with every reality we've been to so far? It's all been about you and the choices you make over who you're gonna be with. Take Akane, for example..."

"Let's not and say we did," Ranma said curtly, "I've already been through enough hell over choosing the Tomboy over...what the hell?"

Nabiki's eyes widened and she said, "I didn't cause this...we just seem to have shifted here, almost like someone carved a deep groove in this reality to mark it, rather like folding the page of a novel in order to create a temporal bookmark..."

Peorth glanced to the side and said, "Perhaps that is what Celestine intended for us to find."

The party followed her stare and then Ranma's eyes got wide as he read out the sigh aloud, "Ucchan's Cat Cafe? Okonomiyaki and Ramen Served Here Daily? What the heck is this?"

"Apparently Kuonji and Shampoo must have formed a partnership together," Nabiki frowned, "But how does this relate to us. I'm curious enough to go in there and find out. Coming, Mother?"

"Hey, I'm just as curious as you, Dear," Peorth replied as she dragged Happosai with her, though it was Ranma who led the way, already pushing open the door before looking around and saying, "Hello, anybody in here?"

"Hmm," Nabiki mused as she followed her husband in and swept the interior with a glance, "Not too many customers for the morning crowd...must be a slow business day, but they are obviously open, so..."

All at once Ranma moved, his hand snatching the hurled baker's peel before it could strike its intended target. He whirled to face its owner and the proprietor of the restaurant then said, "U-Ucchan...?"

"You've got a lot of nerve showing your faces around here," growled a much older version of the Ukyo they knew, clearly pushing in her late twenties or early thirties by the careworn trace of her otherwise lovely features, "How dare you come back to Nerima, Saotome!"

"Huh?" Ranma took a step back as though he had been slapped, "Ucchan?"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" she spat, "You lost the right a long time ago, Mister! And you!" she turned her venom on Nabiki, "We don't serve gold-digging hussies in this place, so take your baggage with you and drag your sorry butts out of here before I have you expelled!"

"Baggage?" Peorth sniffed, "I like that..."

"Hey, wait!" Ranma waved his hands frantically, "I'm not here to cause any trouble, Uch-ah-Ukyo-san...I mean...what did I do to make you this angry?"

"What did you do?" the very calm with which she spoke those words, coupled with her wide-eyed astonishment, did not bode well as in the next second she all but exploded in his face, "WHAT DID YOU DO? WHAT DIDN'T YOU DO, YOU JACKASS!? You dishonored me! You picked Akane and then HER over me and Shampoo! You ruined both our lives, and I'll be hanged if I'll let you do it again! I...!"

"Is something wrong, Airen?" asked a certain lovely purple-haired woman as she came from the kitchen area, only to pause and stare as she saw who was being chewed out by her partner, at which point she said, "Ranma?"

"Uh...hi..." Ranma responded a bit weakly.

All at once the lovely face of a twenty (or thirty) something Shampoo went hard as stone, and then she lifted her nose and went, "HMPH! Now I see why Ucchan is so upset. No time to serve mendicants and peasants who do not pay their way. This is a place of business, only customers who pay for food welcome here, not mercenaries and bandits."

"Bandits?" Nabiki looked from Ukyo to Shampoo and back before saying, "Mind clueing us in on a few things...Sugar?"

Ukyo turned her baleful glare upon the Time Agent and said, "Sure, but it'll cost you...Sugar."

Nabiki arched an eyebrow at this, and at the open palm the chef extended in her direction.

"Excuse me," Peorth spoke up, "I really don't mean to intrude in this, but...HEY!"

"YOOOWWZAA!" Happosai cried in delight as he broke free from the goddess and launched himself at Ukyo, catching the chef by surprise as she yelped and gave back a half-step, clearly unprepared for the suddenness of the pervert's attack while minus her combat spatula.

Too fast for the eye Shampoo moved, and suddenly she met Happosai's charge with a fist that sent him flying backward at great speed, the old man impacting with the far wall with force enough to even stun him for a few moments. The purple haired Amazon then snarled, "No touch Airen! Little pervert man need lesson in manners!"

Ranma and Nabiki both ignored the fate of Happosai and instead riveted upon the one word that caught them both by surprise as they chorused out, "AIREN?"

"Yeah?" Ukyo glared back, recovering her bearings, "What about it. Me and Shampoo are a team now, wanna make something of it?" and she put a hand to the other woman's shoulder in a manner that was more than passing friendly.

Ranma continued to gape as Nabiki spoke up for him, "You mean...you and Shampoo...?"

"Like you don't already know," Ukyo snorted, "After Lunk-Head here married your Tomboy sister and left us both out to pasture, Shampoo and I linked up and formed a partnership. In point of fact, we met in a bar where we were drowning our sorrows, and then Sham-chan here threatened to kill herself, muttering something about preserving her family honor."

"Her..." Ranma's face drained of all color and expression.

"That is right," Shampoo glared at him, "You make me lose face before my tribe and people. You never accept that the traditions and laws of my people had meaning to me, you thought they less important than your stupid Japanese customs, and you dismissed me from your heart and mind like I was garbage. You never cared about me or about Ucchan, only yourself, Saotome, so why should we care about you now, especially after all that happened to you..."

"Um..." Peorth raised a hand, "Pardon me for being the odd one out here...but...what exactly did happen to Saotome here? Just for curiosity's sake..."

"So, he didn't tell you?" Ukyo sniffed, "The marriage to Akane fell apart after only a few years, and she got to keep the Children. Ranma wandered around pretty much lost and abandoned for a while there, even tried to hit up on us for old times sake, but we weren't taking."

"Have enough of that for one life," Shampoo glared angrily, "Ranma clean up own mess before he come back and try making mess of our lives all over."

"Of course, that was before the Tendos found out about the Trust Fund that'd been set up in his name," Ukyo noted, "When Ranma here turned twenty-two he came into some money...a lot of money, which explained why his Pop was always after him to marry a Tendo since the stipulation was that he had to get married. Mister Tendo was furious with Akane, but by that time she'd gone on to college and was lining herself up with a pretty good career...and then you set your predatory sights on him, Nabiki," she glared at the round-eyed Timecop, "Figures that would lure you back to the poor dumb lug, and it wasn't long before you talked Ranma into taking you on as an alternative to your sister."

"Is the Japanese custom in divorce that family no have anything to do with man who is divorced by wife for irreconcilable differences," Shampoo said a bit smugly, "But maybe Japanese customs easy to set aside like Amazon and Chinese customs when is convenient."

"So," Peorth mused, "Ranma wound up with Nabiki here after all, eh?"

"Yeah," Ukyo said smugly, "And as far as we're concerned you two deserve each other, a marriage of manipulative opportunists, and we hope you both make each other very, very happy."

The sarcasm was not lost upon either the Time Cops or the Goddess, but before there could be a verbal reaction to this, in came a couple of laughing children, one clearly chasing the other crying, "Give that back, Xu-Gar!"

"Make me, Tspiz!" teased the other girl as they darted around and leaped over the tables.

"Kids-HEY!" Ukyo raised her voice, "No horseplay in the restaurant, you little Scamps! Front and center and at attention!"

Both young girls instantly subsided and as one chorused, "Yes, Mother..." but then the girl with brown hair said, "But Xu-Gar stole my hair ribbon!"

"Only after you stole one of my ivory Odangos," her purple haired (almost) identical twin countered, "Make her give it back, Mom, I need it to go Iceboarding..."

"Simmer down, you two," Ukyo instructed, "You're both late getting home from school, and we're got a restaurant to open up before the paying customers get here. You think they're going to serve themselves?"

"Listen to your Fama, Children," Shampoo instructed, "Go up to your rooms and wash yourselves up, then get down here and help me out in the kitchen."

"Yes, Mother," sighed one girl.

"Yes, Mother," chorused the other before both girls turned and gave appreciative stares at Ranma, at which point they chorused again, "Who is that?"

"Never you mind who this is," Ukyo instructed, "Just some old business that needs tidying up. Now listen to your mother and go straight to your rooms, Sugar."

"I'm Sugar," the purple haired girl protested.

"And I'm Spice!" the brown haired girl insisted, only to have both girls fall silent as Shampoo turned THE GLARE upon them, a look that only a Mother could manage after many years of long and careful practice.

As both girls tromped away, Nabiki turned to the parents and said, "Your kids...are named Sugar and Spice?"

"Yeah, and they act like wild Indians sometimes," Ukyo growled, though motherly pride showed in her expression.

"More like wild Mongols," Shampoo corrected, "Indian people have many strange customs, but they are not wild men."

"You obviously haven't been to a Maharajah's party..." Peorth mused before giving a yelp of surprise as a pair of diminutive hands began to fondle her breasts.

"Yowza! Now this is the stuff a man needs to live!" Happosai cried happily as he rubbed his face in Peorth's heavenly bosom.

"DIE!" she cried as she knocked him to the floor with a hammer-like fist, then stood panting in disgust for several seconds longer.

"That old man never changes," Ukyo sniffed.

"Which is another good reason not to let him be anywhere around our daughters," Shampoo decided.

"But...ah...well...how...I mean...you...?" Ranma stammered as he looked from one former fianc e to the other.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Ukyo said smugly.

"Silly Ranma," Shampoo snorted without her usual cute hint of amusement, "Not know that Amazon law say when two Warriors choose to marry they must agree that one of them have baby to carry on bloodlines? Great-grandmother help give answer, and Shampoo very happy to have Airen's babies."

"We also have a son that I carried to full term," Ukyo revealed, "But he's either still at school in detention or getting into trouble, just like his mother. Takes after you so much I'd almost swear you were the father. Of course Sham-chan's got more than enough mischief in her for the both of us, so..."

"But..." Nabiki hesitated before plunging ahead and saying, "How did you two...?"

"Get together?" Shampoo smirked haughtily, "It happened when we trained together, when great-grandmother taught me how to defeat Ranma and win back my lost honor. Ukyo supported me and gave me the strength that I needed to win out, and in the end I came to depend upon her for the love and affection that you never gave me, Ranma. She was there holding my hand while you were giving me the back of your hand and turning instead to Akane."

"But...hey, I never..." Ranma stumbled then fell silent as he saw the glare in the crimson eyes of the Amazon, who did not look at him at all with the hopeful affection that he remembered so well from the old days.

"I was your wife," she said coldly, "But you never cared for me, you never saw me as anything but a silly annoyance, just someone to put up with because you lacked the spine to tell me the truth to my face, not that it would have changed anything between us since I was bound by my laws and faced disgrace and possible exile from my tribe for failing to claim you for my husband."

"I..." Ranma found that words failed him utterly, and he hung his head in shame, remembering what had happened to the Shampoo of his own timeline.

"And to lose out to Akane?" Shampoo could not keep the contempt out of her words, "A girl who could not cook your food or keep house to save her life? Who hit you for petty reasons and called you names and never gave you the respect of a husband? Who accused you of all manner of perversity even when there was not the least evidence to support her suspicions? Who suspected you of being unfaithful with me when you never once responded to my affections? And who ultimately dumped you in favor of a man who could actually show her his affections?"

Ranma did not raise his eyes as he responded, "What do you want me to say? I screwed up, I was an idiot, and I'm sorry..."

"You're sorry," Ukyo repeated, "Kind of late to face up to what you did, Sugar, like the way you took my heart and stomped on it repeatedly, first by choosing okonomiyaki over me, then making me hope that there was a chance between us, then sponging off of me for free meals while refusing to see me as a woman? I was your 'Cute' fianc e, remember? The one who would have walked through fire for you, and you didn't even have the courtesy of explaining to me why I was less acceptable to you as a wife than Akane. At least I never tried to poison you..."

"I know," Ranma raised his eyes and turned the full depths of his own emotion towards the chef, startling both her and Shampoo at the trail of tears they saw there as he answered their accusations with a simple, "You would have died for me, both of you, and I never deserved that. I never gave you what you deserved or needed, I never even thought of you as serious contenders. I was blind to so much back then, a real idiot through and through, and I never took it into my thick skull how much I was hurting you both. I just didn't see it back then...I was too much into my own pain, full of my own self-pity, and I thought of you as more annoyances than the friends you were. I thought everybody was out to get me back then, and I never asked for any of this...it was all my fault, but I didn't see it...I blamed it all on the panda..."

"Ranma-kun..." Nabiki felt her own heart go out to her normally indomitable husband.

"I'm sorry," Ranma said, almost sobbing, "I know it doesn't mean that much, I know it can't change what went down, and I know I can never make up for what I did to the both of you. I'm sorry all of it happened, and if I had to do it all over again I'd...I'd..."

"Probably make the same mistakes," Peorth said quietly, "But then again, that's a part of being human."

"No," Ranma said firmly, "I wouldn't do the same things over again. I'd find some way of making it right. I'd kill that old man if it meant freeing myself from the stupidity of what he put me through. He had no right to go making decisions for me about who I was gonna marry, even if he was my Pop. He had even less right doing that to you, Ucchan, or for stealing your prize at that contest, Shampoo. Him and Mister Tendo..."

"Yeah," Nabiki sighed, "Daddy really wasn't much better than your Pop, Ranma-  
kun, although he did try in his own rather pathetic way...and what happened to Akane..." she glanced away, her eyes suddenly hard and bitter with remembered emotions.

"I'm sorry," Ranma said again, "I didn't mean to come back here and stir up all this mess. Here," he tossed the baker's peel back to Ukyo, who casually snatched up, "Feel free to whack me a good one if I ever show my face around here again. I deserve worse, believe me."

He started to turn away before pausing to add, "Ucchan...Shampoo...take care of yourselves. Y'know, never thought I'd be saying this, but the two of you do make a pretty cute couple."

"Uh...thanks, I think," Ukyo said dubiously.

"What change to make Ranma so sensitive that he admit to feelings?" Shampoo wondered.

"A lot of stuff you're better off not knowing about, believe me," Nabiki informed them, turning a soft nod towards her nominal former rivals, "Take care and always love each other, and say hi to the kids for me. They really do kind of remind me of some girls I used to know a while back."

"Charmed," Peorth smiled before giving the couple her own blessings and exiting the restaurant, not noticing that the old man had fully recovered and was trailing after with an eye to her pert backside.

Ukyo blinked her eyes and said, "What do you suppose that was all about?"

"Aiyaa," Shampoo replied, taking Ukyo's hand and squeezing it with affection.

Out on the streets Ranma took a deep, ragged breath then said, "When I find that Celestine guy, remind me to thank him before I punch his lights out."

"I know exactly how you feel, Ranchan," Nabiki replied, "That was draining...yet oddly therapeutic."

"Certainly aired a lot of dirty laundry for you both, eh?" Peorth remarked, "Which is probably what Celestine intended all along."

"Yeah," Ranma said as he glanced back over his shoulder, "Considering what happened with us...with the Ucchan and Shampoo I remember...I never did get a chance to say I was sorry. That's haunted me for a long, long time now. Can't say I feel any better about it, but...at least I got to say it this time."

Nabiki looked at her husband sidelong and asked, "Would you change anything if you could go back in the past and fix things, Ranma-kun? I know you really did care about them, even if you could never bring yourself to admit it..."

"Yeah, and I don't really know," Ranma replied, "Maybe I'd have picked one of them, maybe I'd have done the gutsy thing and married both of them...Amazon law would have allowed that. Or maybe I'd have just set them down and explained things so they wouldn't have false ideas and expectations that I could never live up to. I was in love with Akane before I really knew both of them, idiot that I was, but if I went back with what I know now...I'd have given her to Ryoga in a second and picked you in her place. That would have satisfied Pop and Mister Tendo and got this whole mess straightened out in the first place."

"And if Mortals could make wise decisions all of the time then they would never need the help of Goddesses," Peorth said with a soft smile, "But for what it is worth, I am glad that Nabiki found a man like you to look after her...even if you are more than a bit rough around the edges."

"Thanks, 'Mom,'" Ranma sniffed, only to move like a shot as his hand snatched Happosai out of the air before the little man had a chance to sneak up on Nabiki, "Where do you think you're going, you old coot?"

"Hey, leggo!" the Grand Master struggled in vain as Ranma easily resisted his best efforts, "I wasn't going to do anything, and why do you have to hog all of the cuties? You ever hear about sharing?"

"Y'know," Ranma said, "It would serve you right if I dropped you off someplace where you'd have no chance of getting back to where you could molest the innocent girls throughout the cosmos, but at the moment I can't think of anyplace I hate so much that I'd want to inflict you on them. Even Hell's got it's limits..."

"Best to ignore grandfather for the moment, Ranma-kun," Nabiki sighed, starting forward again, "Come, we've wasted more than enough time here, we have a quarry to bag, and for once I feel like doing a little butt stomping of my own. Only one question troubles me about this whole affair, Ranma-kun."

"And that is?" her husband asked.

"When did you ever bother to tell me about this trust fund they were talking about?" she eyed him obliquely, and at that Ranma began to feel more than slightly nervous...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Sugar Valley Highs: shadowmane

My thanks to Nicole Manders (aka Dreiser) for the ideas behind that scene where Ukyo and Shampoo are running a restaurant (and a family) together. Her story "Bonboris and Spatulas" was very **inspirational** in helping me form this concept.

Next time up we see Garimel cheerfully wrecking havoc in search of her husband while Chakar confronts Celestine and the Time Cops converge on the scene of the crime, but what of the rest of the time displaced youths and their future offspring? Find out next time in: "Oh My-My Goddess!" or, "The Towering Infernal!" Be there!

X -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: ~ All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	11. Chapter 11

RanWarp11

Realities Warped!

By Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi and other artists too numerous to mention.  
The Characters Chakar Shadowmane and Garimel Shalestar, however, was created by me, while Trella (RA Curtis) provided some of the characters and ideas that appear within this chapter, based on her series "Aiyaa, My Goddess!"  
Use by anyone else is strictly verboten and will tend to get you in trouble with the Fanfic Police,  
so be advised that plagiarism of actual copyrights is only permitted of published authors...you have been duly warned!

Chapter Eleven.

Booking the Fates

Continuum #00274138

"{Chakar often tells me that he does not want me to accompany him on his missions. He says that I lack subtlety and tend to fly off the handle at the least little provocation. He says that I need to curb my instinct for bloodshed, to practice more restraint and self-control when dealing with ordinary people. Now I ask you, is that anyway for a husband to talk to his wife?}"

"{Oh, absolutely!}" avowed Legate Gosunkugi as he felt the press of the tip of her sword under his chin, "{I mean-it is rude of him to speak to you that way, but husbands do try to think of what is best for their wives...don't you agree?}"

"{What is best for me?}" the white-haired demoness asked as she considered the question, "{I suppose he does have my best interests at stake, but Chakar could be a little more thoughtful at times. After all, I do try to restrain my impulses. After all, it's not my fault that I was raised to be a certain way, to act as divine judgement and executioner for the enemies of my family. Was not my mother Morrigar the White, feared by many as a living goddess of war, mayhem and destruction? Was not my uncle the dread Keir'Nunos, Master of the Hunt and persecutor of those who dared challenge our supremacy? Am I not the wielder of the Shalestar, one of the Twelve most august Starstones and by birthright the Mistress of Shark House? Why then should I deny who and what I am to live like other mortals when I was raised to hunt and slaughter my enemies without mercy, bringing ruin to those who would dare to threaten the ones I love and would protect? Is to do otherwise not against my very nature?}"

Hikaru Octavius Vesper Gosunkugi sweated bullets as he looked into the calm and inhumanly lovely face before him, hearing this madwoman pronounce these words as though making a casual comment about the weather, her tone and inflection hardly varying more than slightly as though she were not entirely there, as though her mind were somewhat addled or distracted, lending an almost impersonal quality about the way she framed her questions. To follow her actual words, however, was to conclude that she was nothing less than the daughter of a little remembered Celtic Goddess from one of the Western provinces, one who had seen her worship gradually coming back from the abyss with the revival of ancient Wiccaism. New age types, go figure! Not at all surprising that one of their flock might snap and actually come to the conclusion that she was, indeed, a Celtic goddess...

But, then again, common madwomen hardly burst into an Imperial palace and casually slaughtered anyone who got in her way, be their bodyguards or mere retainers. The way the caped swordwoman walked it was as though she owned the place and considered the occupants as mere tenants, and the confident authority in which she acted tended to lend credence to that assertion, as did the astonishing way in which she hurled power bolts left and right as though she were INDEED an actual goddess, and that sword in her hand...that was by no means an ordinary fencing weapon!

Bone white and over a meter long with a basket hilt that was elegant, even stylish, composed of no metal at all but rather actual enamel and bearing the curious title of "White Fang," it certainly had an effect that no earthly blade could hope to equal, and the woman held it easily as though she were fully versed in its most intricate usage, more like a surgeon than any mere fencer.

For his part Gosunkugi was an avowed Atheist, which meant that he believed in the Gods but did not truly **believe** in them, harboring deep suspicions that, deep down, they were hardly better than glorified people with lofty supernatural abilities. He had been fortunate enough not to have any direct encounters with the Gods, though he heard plenty of accounts from those who had, which tended to confirm his suspicions. At temple mass he would say the right prayers and invoke the beneficial protection of Jove and all his flock, but he really favored none of them in particular, preferring a more generalized ecumenical spirit of quite apostasy rather than to believe that the Gods could personally inflict their boons or curses at a whim upon the lives of ordinary mortals.

But this woman before him was scary enough to make Gosunkugi seriously reconsider his position. Her eyes...there was something about her eyes that pierced him to the soul and made him cringe inside as he silently whispered prayers for protection against Celtic demons. He had only to look around at the remains of his bodyguards (and not a few of his guests) to know that she was not one to tangle with lightly, and that to show her the slightest resistance or defiance was to court a death more gruesome than any he could ever remember seeing performed in a public circus.

At heart Gosunkugi was not a bad man, and he did not like his position all that much, having only accepted the Legacy as an obligation of his family, being entrusted by Rome to represent Imperial interests within the region. He would sometimes sit and attend boring meetings by local Senators droning on about this or that matter, wondering if such men were selected for their long-windedness and lack of elegance since little of any real consequence ever got seriously discussed in such meetings.

Recently, however, there had been all this business about the Governor being murdered, and his oldest son going missing while attending the execution of the Black Dragon and his rebels. Gosunkugi was being asked to conduct an inquiry about that, which was why he had reluctantly convened a meeting in the Great Imperial Hall so that a public forum could be employed for determining what exactly had gone wrong and why so many Roman soldiers had been left dead in the sands while crucified criminals were somehow mysteriously liberated from their crosses. Gosunkugi had only just called the emergency hearing to full order...

...When SHE walked-no-strode boldly into the chamber and demanded to know the whereabouts of some stranger whom Gosunkugi had never even heard of before this very moment.

"{I am asking you once more,}" the madwoman said calmly, "{Where is Chakar and why does his trail lead me to this chamber?}"

"{Y-Y-You must be mistaken, my Lady,}" Gosunkugi nervously stammered, "{There is no one here by that name-urk!}"

"{He goes by many names,}" the woman of white-gold spun hair replied as she tilted the little man's head back with the tip of her saber, "{You most probably would not recognize him unless he wanted to be recognized, but I know that he was here...I can feel it.}"

Somehow Gosunkugi knew that contradicting this assertion would not be a very wise career move on his part. Fortunately, just then, reinforcements arrived as heavily armed Centurions with their armored SWAT teams appeared from the corridor flanks with weapons trained on the white-gold madwoman and...

No, scratch that...there went those selfsame SWAT teams as the woman casually waved with her sword and sent the men to her left and right screaming back in horror at the wave of fire that seemed to engulf them.

"{This is not proving productive,}" the woman said as she turned her back on Gosunkugi and surveyed the ruin and devastation that she herself had engineered upon what had once been a crowded audience chamber, now full of smoking and sliced up bodies that littered the way from the dais to the exits, "{It is obvious enough that you do not have the information that I seek, so I will take my leave of you now and continue my hunt elsewhere.}"

"{Th-th-that would be most kind of you,}" Gosunkugi stammered as he cringed back in his throne-like legate's chair, "{Please do leave, and never mind about the mess you leave behind you...}"

Garimel turned a puzzled look at the pathetic ghost of a man who claimed to wield such absolute power over these people. Did he not know what real power was like? She would pity him for that, but she had seen enough on her way here to know that these people were monsters who drank the blood of their own children, the typical kind of brutality and barbarism that she had seen so much of in her six hundred-plus years of life, and it really was their fault if she killed so many of them. After all, they were the ones who attacked her, and if they had simply minded their business she would not have felt compelled to have to kill them. She was not an unnecessarily cruel person after all, just one bred to be instinctively and totally ruthless with her enemies, which she defined as anyone who stood between her and her objectives.

Still and all, he was rather pathetic looking, so she sheathed her sword and continued with her mission.

"{Why do you suffer to sit like that when you are unhappy?}" Garimel asked with a backward glance before moving forward once again, "{There is so much good you could do to the world if you were not such a pathetic coward.}"

"{Ah...well...I'd hardly say that was called for...}" Gosunkugi murmured in mild petulance as he watched the caped woman turn and walk away from the ruins of what had moments ago been a magnificent chamber. He was going to have to do something about all this mess, assign some slaves to pick things up, including the bits of charred and blackened people, and what was he going to say to the families of the men who had died? That they served to protect their Legate from harm? The woman could have slaughtered them all without a single thought and he well knew it. It was only by her own whims that she was leaving now with the task merely half finished.

But then he saw more troops appear at both ends of the chamber and his heart sank to the bottom of his sandals. Truly the Gods must not have liked him that day, either that or they were adding the final jest to what had been an otherwise complete and total disaster.

These men opened fire on Garimel, spraying her with bullets, all of which were deflected off of her personal force shield as she stood unharmed in their midst, as well shielded as though she held an umbrella against a light rain while bullets ricocheted and struck anything else that was not similarly protected, including each other.

"{I have no time for you,}" she said in dismissal, and like that she drew her sword from its scabbard once again, making two quick passes before returning it to its scabbard. Then she continued forward, as heedless of these men as though they had all been frozen instantly into statues.

"{What are you waiting for, fools?}" one of their officers roared, "{Don't just stand there, shoot her!}"

"{They cannot,}" Garimel said as she continued on right past him, not even giving the officer a side glance as she was already summoning up her power and preparing to walk through shadows.

The officer was about to ask what she meant when the first of his men toppled over, followed one by one by the rest as their bodies slid to the floor...but not in single intact pieces. It took a few more seconds before the blood started to spray from severed arteries and sliced capillaries, causing the floor to run red with a pool of dark crimson that would make normal walking across the way a rather unpleasant prospect.

But then the sound of crackling filled the chamber next, and the officer turned with dawning horror in is expression as he saw the pillared supports begin to tumble off their moorings, some of these steel-reinforced marble columns sliced cleanly through so that the top part slid off of the bottom half at an angle, and with them removed much of the support for the ceiling itself began to crumble, prompting the officer to turn his eyes heavenward and say, "{Uh oh...}"

Gosunkugi watched as the chamber began to collapse in on itself, reflecting in an "Oh well" kind of way that at least this would spare him from having to write a report to Rome explaining this fiasco. If he failed to survive that would let him off the hook completely, and maybe the Gods would give him a special dispensation for a last-minute conversion. Either way, there would be a heck of a mess for the ones to survive to have to explain to somebody, and Gosunkugi would rather not have been the one to make that report to Caesar, otherwise his death would be far less pleasant that merely being crushed under tones of stone, brick and metal.

He did rather wonder who this Chakar fellow was in the moments he had left, however, and as he saw the ceiling come crashing in he gave silent pity to the man when the demoness caught up with him, because heaven itself did not have that much pity, and anyone who had someone like that for a wife had to be a saint of some kind, either that or possessed of the patience of a God or goddess...

Continuum #52413783 Gate of Ashkalon

For some strange reason I had this indescribable urge to sneeze all of a sudden. On reflection that does beat the feeling of someone walking over your grave, but only by a fair margin. As omens go, it means that someone out there is thinking about me, and considering the list of my enemies, which vastly exceeds that of my friends, that stands to reason it's not in my favor.

I've arrived at a place where I most definitely do not want to be, the gate of Ashkalon, which is sometimes known as the Gate of Judgement. Here you pass beyond at your extreme peril as the Gods have rigged it as a kind of Ultimate Truth Detector, and whatever your manifest destiny might be you will surely confront it if you attempt to mount the stairs leading up to a higher level of being.

Metaphorically speaking it is the Siege Perilous of gateways, and by tradition lovers can pass through the portal holding hands to test the truth of their love and the fitness of their union...at least in theory. Beyond you will find whatever destiny is awaiting you, and that's entire the problem since the rules change with everyone who attempts such an entry. No one is entirely perfect, not even the Gods, and the gate tests compatibility as well as actual merit.

You may wonder about what kind of a system sets tests that cannot actually be fulfilled, but then there are a lot of mysteries to which even Starlords were never privy. We may last centuries and gain much in the way of knowledge and wisdom, but we're a far cry from all knowing, and while we may seem like Gods to the scale of ordinary mortals, we're really just glorified mortals ourselves, while real Gods are an entirely different order of being all together. I've known lots of gods in my time, too many to actually believe in any one of them, but collectively they each comprise a piece of a greater cosmic enigma, and what we do with the aid of our Starstones for some is entirely natural. That put the odds a bit too much in their favor, which makes what I came here to do either an act of rash folly or ultimate madness.

But then again, nobody ever said my job was easy.

I glance around, surveying my surroundings with more than just the casual five senses, my vision shifting to where I see through my Starstone the energy patterns that lace the entire plateau, harmonizing my own resonance so that I can draw upon the surplus field of energy to reinforce my own reserves of power, all the while keen to sense the presence of another intelligence, one stronger and far more resilient than myself, which can imply only one thing...

I've come to the right place and the "Bad Guy" is about to make his entry.

Still I wait for it, my cloak swirling around me even though there is hardly any breeze. Here I can feel only the slight presence of any shadow, which limits me on more than one aspect as it means that I'll be confined to playing by his rules instead of my own. That's not a good situation by any stretch, but I've no choice but to let him make the first move, all but daring him to show his face by remaining impassive. I know better than to commit myself ahead of time, especially as I don't know the full strength of my adversary. I'm feeling his presence more than actually sensing his location, so there is no sense in behaving rashly, even given that I have only the vaguest idea of what he is attempting to achieve here, and how exactly he intends to use those kids he grabbed up from those various timelines.

At length my patience is rewarded as I hear him say, "Starlord. Your name is Shadowmane, is it not?"

"I'm called that by some," I reply without looking around, "Along with a lot of other things that aren't quite as flattering."

I sense a soft chuckle more than I actually hear it, and then he appears at last, manifesting a good forty meters away from where I am standing, tall and black haired with clearly Asiatic features and wearing a garment that's unnecessarily elaborate and formal. Of course looks aren't everything, and I can tell that his wardrobe is actually a functional design of really advanced technology, the kind the Gods have been using for centuries to augment their natural abilities, and which links them directly to the Yggdrasil system. I study his outline and sense even more that his appearance is merely an illusion, that his outward self is a manifestation rather than an actual body, and that there is a symbiotic host providing him with a platform whose general form I can vaguely detect beneath the pattern of his make-up, concentrated around an object mounted in a brooch worn over a child's breastbone. I narrow my eyes as I recognize this, and suddenly the game is a lot more dangerous and deadly than even I had bargained on. Ylan was not kidding about him being both resourceful and ruthless, and given what else I had heard I know that I'm facing the most dangerous opponent of all...a dedicated fanatic.

"I have heard of you," the figure of the man addresses me, as calm as a cucumber, "Lord Greystar of the House of the Wolf. Some call you an assassin, others a hero, and still more a butcher. They say you are the Grand Executioner who carries out the will of the Starlord council..."

"I act in their name," I reply, "When it suits me."

"So," the figure smiles, "They have sent you to stop me, eh?"

"Either that or to talk you out of it," I reply, "I won't lie about it, I'd rather use words than persuasion."

"I fear that neither will be effective against me," the man replies, "I have had centuries to plan for this moment, and now that I am close to achieving my goal..."

"You mean like you tried to do back on that other timeline?" I counter before nodding at the man's odd ornament and saying, "That's the Ginzuishou, isn't it? The Silver Millennium Crystal that belongs to the royal house of the ancient Moon Kingdom. Only Serenity's line was able to use it to full effect. What did you do, pry it from the cold, dead fingers of her rightful heir and graft it into your own totem?"

"Regrettably, even I cannot use the Ginzuishou by myself without the proper assistance," he explains, "Fortunately there is one of Serenity's line by a cadet branch who is able to use it, and through her I can channel the energies that I will need to achieve my objective."

"That kid you're using for a host," I said, "She's descended from the Moon Kingdom?"

"Indirectly, but yes," the man explains, "A curious fusion of several bloodlines into one. Both Tendo and Saotome clans are descended from the Kingdom of Serenity, as are other families of prominent lineage going back well beyond Samurai times. This child was born with undiscovered potential that she might otherwise never have realized on her own, and on top of this she is Temporally destabilized, which allows me to use her for a cross-Paratime Quantum catalytic shift..."

"But what do you hope to accomplish with all this?" I ask, "You failed the last time and caused the universe you were in to be infected..."

"I miscalculated," the man answers, "This time I will use more caution and there will be a very different outcome."

"Not if you live to be older than my grandfather," I say slowly, "You tried to create paradise by force-feeding it to an entire planet. You must know by now that reality doesn't work that way..."

"I have found a way of getting around that problem," he reveals, "Believe me, everything has been taken into consideration and the formula that I have been working out will surely triumph..."

"I'll bet that's what you said to the people of your universe before you snapped," I counter, "Did you lure Saotome into your clutches by promising to clear up that fianc e mess of his? Or did you just catch him at a bad moment?"

"I used what opportunities were afforded to me, yes," my opponent acknowledges with that I take to be a look of sincere contrition, "But it was necessary and just. You know that Saotome, more than any, would benefit greatly from the changes that I mean to engineer. I only need a few more components and the spell will be completed within the hour, then even Heaven will not bar the gates of my ascension..."

"You really think the outcome will be any better this time around?" I ask tensely, waiting for the moment to shift as I'm pretty sure that this guy's already got me covered six ways from Sunday, "Even Gods like you have their limits..."

"Like me, perhaps," this fellow nods, "But I was only a low ranking member of the Council before, and now...I have the advantage of the Ginzuishou...and one who is properly suited to its usage. You know of whom I speak, don't you?"

I let my eyes widen as I start to put it all together, then it comes to me with startling clarity, this grand master plan of his, and I'm like, "D'oh!" for not having figured it out with all the clues he dropped right up to this moment. Aloud what I say is, "You really think she's going to come and fall right into your grasp?"

"I expect her to arrive at any time now," he says confidently, "The lure has been set and the bait has already been taken. She will come and then I will have everything that I need for the great ceremony to take place, and not even her fabled Guardian protector will stand in the path of doing what I must do..."

"You're crazier than a loon, you know that?" I ask as I tense up, waiting to see if I can provoke him into attacking.

To my surprise he just shrugs and says, "Perhaps...but if this is madness, then it will be a madness that I embrace, because to allow things to remain as they are will be to invite even more madness that is to follow. You know of what I speak, Grey Lord, you who are sworn to protect the Balance between the light and the dark halves of the cosmos. 'Moderation in all things' is the standard that you swear by, but you know as well as I that even the most tempered moderation must allow the existence of extremes of good and evil...and you know the true nature of evil itself, why the Gods tolerate its continuous infection of all that is pure and noble, why they even allowed it to come into existence in the first place!"

"The Chaos War was a very long time ago," I say, "The wounds may run deep and the scars may never have completely healed, but humanity has come a long way from those times to this, and you can't just negate that existence. Even the Gods would be affected..."

"Exactly!" he raises a finger, "The Gods, with their arrogance, would be made to face at last the consequences of their actions, their indifference to suffering and their gross perpetuation of a monstrous injustice! Take this gate of Judgement, for example...why right does any being have to decide the fate of another? By what standard are mortals to be judged by we who are little better than mortals ourselves for all our lofty powers and pretension? An immortal life does not guarantee either infallibility or omniscience..."

"Yeah, I know," I snort, "In the old days you guys weren't much better than children playing with your toys, and if you tended to break a few, well, what of it?"

"But then the system that exists today came into effect," he waves a hand at the gates for emphasis, "And things have never been the same for either gods or mortals, have they, Starlord? Everything is regulated now, stamped and numbered and categorized with each assigned their given place in time and position..."

"Yeah, but there's a lot of flexibility in that system," I argue, "And people are given the right of free will to make their own choices and mistakes..."

"Which they employ all too frequently to disastrous ends," he dismisses, "Free will is overrated. How much freedom does a poor man have to choose the path of his own destiny? What choices do the ignorant, the mentally handicapped and the undereducated to know the range of opportunities that are to be found for the asking? Once all beings were equal in the sight of the Unimind, but now some are not only more equal than others, but all but guaranteed to come out ahead while the vast majority get tossed into the scrap heap!"

"And they call me a cynic," I say aloud, more in acknowledgement than any further attempt to bait him.

"Are you not the one who once said that a cynic is nothing more than a fallen idealist spat out after being chewed in the teeth of reality?" he argues back at me, "If I am cynical it is because my idealism was betrayed a very long time ago when I saw the pitiable way in which humanity has struggled to climb back from the dirt to the enlightenment all treasure. You say that they have choices? Well, most choose foolishly to wallow in darkness and expend their petty mortal lives in unfulfilled schemes at self-betterment, or just simple survival. For every one who manages to achieve great things there are thousands who fail and thousands more who suffer hideously in starvation, poverty and oppression."

"Nobody ever said the system was fair," I reply to that, "It's just a heck of a lot better than the alternative..."

"Who says that the system is not fair?" I actually see him get angry on this point, "Many prophesies and prognostications keep promising humanity that better times are ahead, that a Golden Age is only just around the corner, that soon the powers of Light will overthrow the Darkness and create a paradise on Earth free from war, strife and corruption! Entire religions base their singular right to exist upon the premise that we, the Gods, will take notice of their struggling and act to ease their sorrows by establishing a system of perfect peace and order! Every trace of human weakness will be expunged and instead all will find their niche in the greater cosmic order. Evil will be obliterated utterly and the meek will be given their place in the Kingdom of Heaven!"

"Sounds like a Socialist Utopia to me," I argue.

He actually laughs at my little joke, "Are you not also the one who says that all governments are Socialist in character, that they only differ in the degree to which they attempt to manage the economy and affairs of their citizenry? Well, that certainly is true of the Heaven I know and was once a part of...a perfect worker's paradise managed from the top down by lofty administrators dedicated to maintaining the public welfare, and never mind the inefficiencies and petty injustices that might sometimes crop up as the machinery of the Heavens grinds on and chews up lives as its daily fodder. Fix the system so that it runs perfectly? How! I tried doing that from inside the system and got nowhere! The only way that paradise could ever be achieved is either to manage directly every person's individual lives, which means eliminating those elements that do not fit into the perfect picture, or..."

"Elevate the consciousness of all mortal beings," I nod grimly, "Make them more like Gods but with full understanding of their nature and kinship."

"Exactly," he notes in what I take to be a disturbing imitation of me when I'm making a point in a lecture, "And we both know what that led to in the times of the Ancients. Lofty ambitions were spurred by those who explored the limits of their powers, and before long they began experimenting and indulging their slightest whim to the ruination of the entire planet..."

"Took a couple million years for that to happen, way I hear it," I say as I study him more closely and try to pick out the composition of those energy laces that he's using to surround the child with his adult manifestation, "But I take it you've figured out a third way?"

"A compromise of sorts," he replies, "Allow humanity to grow somewhat beyond their present limitations, but divide the power equally and spread it evenly over the diverse tribes of humanity so that their consciousness can be united into a recreation of the Group Mind once enjoyed by the ancients. Then structure the Machine so that no one wants or desires a portion that is greater than any others, that all become aware of how the pain of one can affect the many, and encourage them to create a greater community based on love and cooperation, not selfishness and fear. This will become the new paradise on Earth, where there will be no more leaders and followers, no more rich and poor. To each his own measure of ability, to each the means to achieve his or her desire..."

"Communism," I note for the record, "It's not natural, though...the only way to sustain that is through purely artificial means..."

"Oh, believe me when I say that I have factored that into my calculations," he assures me, "But once the system is in place it will be self-sustaining as people will no longer view themselves as separate from one another but will instead find joy in learning to act cooperatively. Soon it will become the natural way for all to behave, and no one will even remember the dark times of the present, when they could walk by a person who was suffering and not be moved to act with compassion rather than condescension and pity. There will no longer be a need to test a person's worth and merits since everyone's talents will be recognized as individual components to the greater whole..."

"But what's the point of all this?" I ask, "If there's no suffering, then there's no need for betterment, no struggle for self-improvement..."

"Why struggle at all?" he asks, "Let the group mind enlighten you, let it help you achieve your basic needs and desires, then you will not want for anything beyond the happiness of a family and the close friendship of your neighbors..."

"So," I frown, "You're just gonna give them this on a silver platter."

"I see no reason to leave anyone out of the new Kingdom," he argues, "Those who do evil now and act from selfish motivation will have cause to regret their short-sightedness and will amend their ways once they understand how their actions have affected others. Evil will no longer exist because people will know how to balance out their light and dark halves...the chaos and disharmony in which evil flourishes will be no more. The cycle will be broken and the deep scars of the Chaos War will finally be healed."

"And all people have to do is surrender to your new and perfect system," I summarize, "But what about the demon kingdoms? Won't they be free to plague and corrupt humanity? Won't ordinary human beings lack the strength to resist their influence?"

"Again you underestimate my plans," he assures me, "The demons will be locked away in their respective hells because there will be nothing for them to influence and affect in the new humanity. Without the corruption of evil to leave the opening they need, the dark beings of the Klypoth will have nothing to grasp or manipulate. No petty fears, rage or jealousy will upset them. There will be no fuel upon which the Dark Ones can feast, only the light of the soul, which repels them. The Unimind will block out the darker forces that seek a toehold in reality, and beings such as Satanos and Tulpa will starve without a steady supply of dark soul energy to sustain them."

"Think you've got this all figured out, have you?" I say as I continue to probe, looking for the weak spot that I can use to disrupt his overall pattern, "And nobody's gonna stop you from carrying this out?"

"That is what you are here to do is it not, my lord Greystar?" my opponent smiles in a way that disturbs me more than a little, "The powers you serve stand to lose much if I reshape all of existence to fit my ends. But there is no reason why the two of us must be enemies. You serve the Balance itself, not the Starlord Dominion. Join with me and we will create a new balance together..."

"Tempting, but I'm gonna have to decline," I say as I draw my sword and salute him, "Paradise would give me nothing to do for a living, and I'm too young to think about retirement at this stage."

"So be it," he nods respectfully back as he stretches out a hand and conjures up some kind of fancy blade that just pops right into existence at his silent command, "A shame really. You of all people should understand what I am attempting to achieve here. Is my plan not the fulfillment of all that you yourself aspire towards?"

"Somewhat, yes," I say, "But I'd rather let things evolve naturally instead of trying to tear down the system before you recreate it."

"Then I will respect you wishes in this," he said as he raises his blade in salute, "But just so you know for the record, you have absolutely no chance of defeating me in battle."

"Mind if I test that theory out first?" I reply, "Oh...and by the way, isn't Celestine supposed to be a girl's name?"

I attack instantly as I see him flicker for an instant at that verbal barb, but he recovers faster than I can strike and ripostes my thrust then casually disengages me to make a backhand slash that I barely manage to evade, and I know at once that I'm in for the fight of my life because he hardly even seems to be trying while I'm employing the full measure of my 3000+ years of experience just to push my way past his outer defenses. This guy is gonna be a tough nut to crack, that's for certain, but I don't dare lose this fight since I'm pretty sure that to lose will mean a lot more than my own life is at stake, and if I fail now then there'll be nobody left to stop Celestine but Saotome...

And believe me, the idea of falling back upon him ain't no ideal picnic...

Continuum: #73421895

"GAH!" the creature cried as it flinched back in terror, "Get it away from me, GET IT AWAY FROM ME! AKANE-NABIKI-!"

"Hah?" Ranma said as he saw the cowering cat-faced boy being comforted by a feline-faced pair of teenaged girls, all of them covered in light body fur with bushy tails and pointy ears that swerved like radar, whiskers twitching with fangs and claws bared in a hiss of warning.

"Well," Nabiki remarked, "This is different..."

"Who are you?" growled a short, black-maned human-sized as she took a defensive stance and guarded her section of the dojo, "And what are you doing in my house?"

"Oh wonderful," Peorth rolled her eyes, "This must be one of Bast's worlds, her answer to the Planet of the Apes..."

"Look," said a brown-maned Cheshire, "If you don't leave now we'll call the cops and have you evicted..."

"But I am a cop," Ranma countered as he stared at human-cat hybrids and most especially at his own counterpart, a Tom Cat with a pigtail who was cringing in the corner and shaking like a leaf in wild-eyed terror.

"Oh my," said a brown-furred Angora, "Then you had best leave now unless you have a search warrant. I don't mean to be rude, but..."

"Let me guess," Nabiki said as she nodded towards the cowering Cat-version of Ranma, "His Daddy once tied him up in sausages and dropped him into a pit of starving people?"

"Why, yes," the tall angora marveled, "How did you know that?"

"...Lucky guess..." was all Nabiki managed to utter as she stared at the lolling mound of white and black fur that was playing innocent in the far corner.

"I think we had better leave," Peorth suggested, "This is definitely another one of Celestine's false leads."

"You think?" Ranma said as he turned back to his wife, "Nabiki?"

"Already on it, Ranma-kun," Nabiki led the way as they turned and strolled away from the furry versions of themselves, the walls of the dojo already shimmering as they shifted to yet another dimension.

"Well, that certainly was fun," remarked Happosai, "Wonder how many more of these alternate worlds we'll get to see before we find what we're looking for."

"Not too many I hope," Ranma shuddered in delayed reaction.

Nabiki noticed this and said, "I thought you were over your aluraphobia."

"So did I," Ranma took a deep breath to steady himself once again, "But that place was a little too freaky, know what I mean?"

"Oh yes," Nabiki nodded, "I understand completely."

"Well now," Peorth raised an eyebrow, "We seem to have hit another of Celestine's markers. I wonder what we'll find this...?"

All at once there were explosions all around them, small and large detonations that caused sparks to sputter and walls to shake with flash-bang effects going off all around them. Ranma and his companions all halted in mid-motion to take in the scene right before a lithe figure came hurtling through the midst of the bedlam, performing a nearly impossible acrobatic stunt while pointing some kind of handweapon back the way he had just come and squeezing off what sounded like a full magazine clip of bullets. He landed again with cat-like grace and straightened out in time to find himself face-to-face with an unexpected obstacle in his way, but before he could dodge around the equally startled Peorth another figure rose up from the sidelines and pointed a gun towards the other gun-toting figure.

"Have a taste of the Transvestite Ray, Space Hunter!" cried the new arrival as he pulled the trigger and unleashed a stream of water at his intended target, splashing him and causing an altogether familiar transformation to occur as black hair became red and the masculine shoulders slendered down considerably while filling out in the chest area and shrinking down in stature to more compact dimensions.

"CUUUUTTT!" someone cried from off to their right as Ranma and Nabiki whirled around to see an entire film crew on hand, complete with cameras, mirrors, lighting and sound booms, not to mention a very irate looking director.

Of course Peorth was a bit slow to acknowledge this fact as presently the redhead-having been disoriented by the burst of water in her face-continued on forward and stumbled into the goddess, knocking them both to the floor in a sprawl with the redhead winding up on top and Peorth looking up, mildly stunned, from the bottom.

"What the hell is this?" screamed a man with the word "Director" written large upon the back of his vest, "Who let these people on the stage? And why is that big guy in costume?"

"Costume?" Ranma arched an eyebrow.

"For the Terminator sequence that we're shooting on stage twelve," said a familiar voice as a version of Nabiki dressed in shorts and a tank-top eased past him to position herself above the still-surprised redhead, "Better get up, Ranma-kun, if you want to avoid our fearless leader bursting a blood vessel with an apoplexy. You know how much it costs him every time they have to reset the squibs and get everything back into position..."

"Man, how many more takes is it gonna be?" complained the gunman holding the fancy water pistol, whose voice drew a startled gasp out of Ranma, who placed him at once in spite of his unusual choice of wardrobe.

"As many as it's going to take, Pantsaru!" the Director snapped, before glaring at Ranma and growling, "What's the matter with you people? I said get off the set right now, and get back to the wardrobe department! What the hell do you think this is, people, a Tour?"

"Um..." Nabiki glanced at the younger version of herself then to the man and said, "We're sorry...I don't know how this could have happened..."

"You okay, lady?" the redhead asked as she offered a hand to help Peorth regain her footing.

"Ah...yes, more or less," she replied, "I'm...somewhat more resilient than I appear..."

The man with the sunshades made an appreciative whistling noise and mused, "That's for damned sure. Mama-Mia, where you been hiding yourself in this dump, Gorgeous?"

"Knock it off, Pantyhose," the redhead countered.

"Make me, Fem-boy," the shades-wearing Pantyhose Taro cheerfully sniped back, "And remember on this set I'm Taro Astaru, no more of that 'Pantyhose' stuff for me when I'm a big star and you're yesterday's leftovers."

"Yeah, yeah, sure," the redhead sniffed as if this were an old joke between them, then she turned to the older Ranma and said, "You guys messed it up for us, but I guess these things just kind of happen. Of course, the Boss man won't see it that way, so you got any next of kin to ship your remains to?"

"More like a forwarding address," Ranma replied, "And what the heck is...all this?" he waved a hand to include the entire soundstage.

The Nabiki holding a clip-board gave the older Time Cops a casual smile and said, "We're shooting the big action scene for the new 'Space Hunter' video. It comes with the CD-ROM game as part of a big multimedia package...and I don't remember seeing either of you anywhere on this set before. You do look kind of familiar, though, so..."

"I don't believe it," Taro removed his glasses and stared at Ranma, "Fem-boy? Is that you?"

"Huh?" the redhead beside him asked, "What do you mean is it me?"

Rather than clarify his question, Taro raised his handweapon and squeezed the trigger, unleashing another spray of water, this time directly at the Time-Cop version of Ranma.

"Hey!" Ranma cried as he began to shrink down a few centimeters and lost some mass...or rather had it distributed to other portions of her anatomy, her leather outfit similarly shrinking to accommodate her diminished stature. The change in hair color from black to red was also rather hard to miss, causing the clip-board in Nabiki's hands to hit the floor as she too stared in wordless wonder.

The other redhead gawked at the transformation and said, "Hey...but...you look like...!"

"Man, Pantyhose," Ranma-chan the older complained, "What did you have to go and do that for?"

"I knew it!" Taro declared, "Don't ask me how, but I knew it was you, Saotome!"

"Saotome?" the redhead beside him declared, "No way! She's older than me, and I'm not sagging either!"

"Sagging?" Ranma-chan sputtered, "You care to repeat that, Shrimp?"

"Timetravel?" the younger Nabiki asked.

"In a manner of speaking," the older Nabiki answered, "You might say that you'll be me in a few years...now...would you mind clearing up a few details? I'm a little unsure what part of my past this is supposed to represent..."

"Why...don't you know?" the younger Nabiki asked, "Ranma-kun's a big action star, and I'm his agent."

"Agent?" the older Nabiki cocked an eyebrow, "Then who...?"

All at once the answer to her question presented itself in the form of four women who appeared almost simultaneously offering towels to the two Ranmas to dry themselves off with. Their names were instantly identifiable, but Nabiki was more than a bit startled to find that one of the four was none other than, "Kaori?"

"Are you up for another round, Ranma-kun?" asked the brown-haired Delivery girl as she offered the redhead some ramen.

"You sure chewed up the set with that stunt, Ranchan," said a casually dressed Ukyo, her hair done up in a ponytail and the garments she was wearing leaving little doubt of her actual sex.

"Aiyaa, Airen always look good no matter what she doing," said a cheerful Shampoo, who was herself wearing something oddly high-tech and yet flattering to her anatomy.

"Hohohohohoho!" an equally cheerful Kodachi said as she held up a hot water container, "Change you back to your magnificent self, my darling Ranma-sama?"

"Akane split the scene a couple of years back," the younger Nabiki explained to her older counterpart, "Said she couldn't take the pressure, that she didn't know Ranma-kun anymore, that he's been too busy shooting on locations all over the planet and she wanted to stay in Japan and pursue her education." The younger Nabiki leaned closer to her older counterpart and said, "Personally, I think she just wanted to spend more time out of the spotlight with her girlfriend. You know how the press can be sometimes, always prying into every little detail..."

"I see," the older Nabiki said, then blinked and repeated the word, "Girlfriend?"

"Ayakawa Madoka," her younger self answered, "Remember her? The Biker chick we met when Ranma-kun was filming 'Flying Tigers IV?'"

"Oh," Nabiki answered, filing away this information for later, as well as meaning to rent out that selfsame video title once she got back to headquarters.

"Uh...let me see if I got this right," said Ranma-chan as she saw her younger counterpart turn into a handsome stud of around his early twenties, who was promptly flanked by all four of his closest female companions, "You're a movie star?"

"What was your first hint?" chuckled the now-restored Ranma-kun, seeming quite comfortable about having four beautiful girls pressing in close to his well-  
defined upper chest, "What's the matter, jealous?"

"Ah..." Ranma-chan was just attempting to think up an answer for that when the director sayd, "YOU!"

"Hah?" asked Peorth, seeing the director was pointing her way.

"What's your name?" he demanded, "No, skip that! We'll come up with a name for you! You're perfect, and that costume! Somebody snap a picture, quick! I want some test reels and still footage! Get some make-up down here, we have a Diva that I've just discovered, a newfound Cinema Goddess!"

"Er...well..." Peorth reluctantly stammered.

"Yeow!" yelped one of the camera girls, "Who pinched me!"

"Ew-get it off of me!" cried one of the other female stage hands, who was presently fetching a make-up kit for the director.

"What is that thing, a lawn gnome?" cried a blonde as she tried to dislodge the little man now clinging to her bare leg.

"KOWABUNGA!" Happosai cried in delight as he let go of one female victim and launched himself at another.

"Hey, who let that creep get on this stage?" the younger Ranma demanded.

"Never mind!" snarled Taro, "He's mine! Someone get me a real weapon, I'm hunting perverts!"

Ranma-chan sighed, "That old guy must think he's in hog heaven-HEY!"

"This is no time to screw around, Ranma-kun," said Nabiki as she put down the borrowed pot of hot tea that someone was serving from a tray, "We have serious work to do, and I'm getting awfully tired of all these little distractions..."

"You!" the Director pointed at the Time Agent, "You're her at an older age?"

"Hah?" TC Nabiki asked, "Well..."

The Director whirled about and looked at the younger Nabiki, then contrasted her with the older one, then said, "Somebody get me a contract! Tendo-san, you greedy, green-hearted tight-fisted little hacker, why didn't you tell me you were gonna look like that in a few years? I'm having you tested right away! If you pass I'll give you a long-term contract, even more generous than I gave to Saotome!"

"Huh?" the younger Nabiki blinked, though it sounded almost like a cash-register ringing somewhere when she recovered her wits enough to ask, "How generous are these terms you're proposing...?"

"Hey, why is she going to get more than me?" the younger Ranma immediately protested.

"Genetics, Junior," the older Timecop smirked, only to get a startled look as he suddenly found himself at the center of attention for the Shampoo, Ukyo, Kodachi and Kaori of this timeline.

"Is true, he look like Airen, only much more handsome!" declared the Amazon.

"On man, Ranchan, did you ever mellow out with age!"

"Like fine wine, I quite agree..."

"Served up raw like sushi..." Kaori winked, "Ever eat it in the raw? You can use my body for a tray if you like..."

"Ah..." Ranma suddenly found himself confronted with feminine pulchritude many times more alluring than even the memories of his childhood, proof positive that these girls had definitely improved with age, and that at twenty a girl definitely blossomed out into a woman...rather more woman than he was ready to handle at the moment as he said with a note of panic, "Nabiki...?"

His wife just heaved a sigh and grabbed him by the collar, calling out over her shoulder, "Sorry, girls, but this version is most definitely taken. Coming, Mom?"

"Um...right," Peorth reluctantly turned away from the pestering director, who was going on about doing something to conceal the odd facial markings that distinguished her as a goddess linked with Yggdrasil.

"Taken?" the four women pressing in on TC Ranma halted in their tracks with startled looks, then as one they turned and glared towards the younger Nabiki, who gulped in response and considered her chances at making a hasty exit in one piece.

"Hey, wait for me!" Happosai cried as he was chased their way by a score of enraged and vengeful female actresses and crew members, only to vanish at the last instant as he made a hasty leap to catch up with the floating tails of the goddess.

Ranma watched his older self disappear then said, "What just happened?"

"Geez, Fem-boy," Taro snapped as he, too, halted in his chase, "Ain't you ever gone to the movies? That was you from the future, and why is it you always have the fool's luck with the women?"

"The future?" the Director said as though struck by a two-by-four, and then he cried in delight, "THAT'S IT! Somebody get me a scriptwriter, I've got an idea for a rewrite!"

"I'll settle for a happy ending myself, thank you!" cried Nabiki as she ran for her trailer with four angry women in hot pursuit, wondering what in the heck she had ever done to deserve this, and fearing to ask it as someone might present a list...

Continuum #29715382

"Here we are!" Meiko cheerfully called out as she brought her winged steed down for another four-hoofed smooth landing, "This is the place where we need to be if we're to start to recruit the kind of allies we'll need, Sis."

Ranko glanced around at what appeared to be a perfectly normal version of the suburb where the Tendo house was located. She dismounted easily then said, "Okay, we're here, but you sure we'll find the allies we need? Looks just like the same old block back home to me..."

"Not quite," Meiko nodded over towards the gates of the Tendo compound, "Take a look over there and tell me if that looks familiar."

"Huh?" Ranko glanced over her shoulder, then she did a rapid double-take and cried, "What the heck is that?"

"Dad's Tower of Sorcery on this timeline, of course," Meiko replied as she waved a hand at the multi-storied round stone structure located in the back of the yard, "Where he-or, I mean-she practices Sorcery like she learned from Aunt Siren."

"Who's aunt Siren?" Ranko asked, then blinked, "Wait a minute...isn't she that crazy blonde Amazon witch who was always chasing after great-grandmother Cologne?"

"Chased and caught her here," Meiko chuckled, "And you ought to meet their daughter. In fact, that could be here coming this..."

A loud explosion caught Ranko by surprise, but she rolled with the shockwave and recovered easily enough, turning in time to see a fleet-footed redhead chasing after a tall dark-haired girl with enormous breasts, the latter laughing in the manner of Ranko's beloved aunt Kodachi while her pursuer was shouting out an angry, "YOU GET BACK HERE AND TAKE YOUR PUNISHMENT, NAGHA! HOW DARE YOU PULL SOMETHING LIKE THAT ON ME-!"

"Now, now, my dear Lina," chuckled the taller girl, "Where's your sense of humor? Really, all this fuss over a perfectly harmless little prank."

"Harmless?" the redhead snarled before pointing with a finger and crying, "FIREBALL!"

Ranko was startled to see flames leap out from the fingertips of the redhead, only to find the tall girl whirled around and deflected by blast by erecting an ice shield. Both girls then vanished as they leaped over the fence and into the Tendo compound, leaving Ranko to stare in disbelief while Meiko just gave her a wry look of knowing amusement."

"Those two...?" Ranko began.

"Yup," Meiko agreed with her American drawl, "Saotome Lina and her half-sister, Naghi. They're our counterparts form this timeline, and they're both powerful Sorceresses in training. One specializes in fire spells, the other in water and ice. Now, the others ought to be around here somewhere, I..."

"Looking for someone?" asked a beautiful girl dangling upside down, her long flaming hair dangling down almost to the ground while the rest of her hung weightless above them.

"Honeysuckle!" Meiko cried in delight, "Sis, this is our half-sister, Honeysuckle. Guess you can tell who her mom is. Now if only we can find Anhket..."

"She's around," the floating girl righted herself and then continued to hover off the ground while she folded her arms and legs as though leaning back on a recliner, "So, this is Ranko, huh? Nice to meet you, Sis. I take it you want us all to be going on another big adventure?"

"That's it in a nutshell, I'm afraid," Meiko nodded, "Think we can get Lina and Naghi to calm down long enough to hold a powwow? And...is Lyne anywhere about?"

"In answer to your first question, maybe," Honeysuckle replied, "As to your second, sorry...she got called away to Valkyrie practice. I know that she'll be sorry she missed you, but..."

"Valkyrie practice?" Ranko belatedly made the connection, "You mean Kuno Lyne Reiko?"

"Oh yeah," Meiko nodded, "She told me you'd met before. Too bad...she's the one who taught me how to ride with the Valkyries like one of the Einhaller, Oh well...guess we can make do with what we've got, especially considering we'll need all the firepower we can get on short notice..."

"Why?" Honeysuckle asked, "What are we going up against this time, another dragon?"

"No, just a god who's out to destroy all of reality as we know it," Meiko shrugged, "Pretty standard stuff, really."

"I wish I could say different," Ranko murmured then shrugged, "Well...guess it's nice to meet you and you...um...our sisters. So, here's the story as much as I know so far, but Meiko-chan here seems to know a lot more about it. It all began when she got kidnapped from our dojo..."

"By a god?" the floating Honeysuckle asked.

"Yeah, I know," Meiko sniffed, "Could have been worse, could have been another Frost giant..."

"Hey, are you telling this part or me?" Ranko asked, then she continued, "Anyway I was working out in the dojo when, all of a sudden, this guy just pops out of nowhere and seizes hold of Meiko-chan..."

"And you dive after me to try and rescue me but got lost," Meiko supplied when she saw Ranko look at her crossly and hastily amended, "I know...I'll shut up now..."

"No," Ranko sighed, "Actually that's all that I remember. It was your turn anyway to tell the rest of the story."

"Oh, and I will," Meiko replied, "After we gather the others, and then we go find Dad and Mom before the bad guy croaks them."

"Croaks them?" this time Honeysuckle did not seem so casual or blase in her expression, "Dad...and...uh, which Mom?"

"Better wait for that part," Meiko urged, "You're not gonna believe it, and the Dad on our timeline...well...you gotta see him to believe it, and even then you won't believe it..."

"Uh...Meiko-chan?" Ranko pointed out, "You're repeating yourself."

"Am I?" Meiko blinked, "Sorry, but even after all this time I still mess up my Japanese. Well, anyway, let's head on over to the dojo and then I'll tell you the rest, but like I said, you are not gonna believe it."

"Right," Honeysuckle sighed, musing aloud to herself, "And I thought the twins were a stretch..." as she lead the way, floating towards the Tendo-Saotome compound...

Comments/Criticisms/Do You Believe in Magic: shadowmane

My thanks again to Trella (RA Curtis) for her ideas regarding the "Aiyaa, My Goddess" future timeline, and for the suggestion of the Lina and Naghi characters who appear her, along with Lyne Reiko Kuno and Honeysuckle Saotome. Next up the battle royal gets under full sway as Chakar pulls out all the stops against Celestine, while Ranma and Nabiki close in for the kill and Ranko gathers up more cavalry while the rest of the captured crew ruminate about their various timelines. Be here next time for: "Record of the Ranma Wars," or, "Name That Doom!" Be there!

X -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: ~ All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	12. Chapter 12

RanWarp12

Realities Warped!

By Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi and other artists too numerous to mention.  
The Characters Chakar Shadowmane and Garimel Shalestar, however, was created by me,  
while some scenes in this chapter were inspired by comments and suggestions provided by my pre-readers, such as Scott Jamison and a few others such as DB Sommers and Nicole Manders. Use of my characters without permission is definitely to be discouraged, and never mind that I'm using characters created by Rumiko herself...what do you want in a fanfic writer, consistency?  
Sheesh! You have been duly warned!)

Chapter Twelve

Celestine Prophesies

Continuum #52413783 Gate of Ashkalon

Right off the bat I know this is gonna be a toughie. This guys is as skilled as me and seems about the same age, even though I'm more the specialist in fighting and he's just a Multi-tasking sort who's very talented at everything he puts his mind to. He's also, not incidentally, a full God while I'm just a guy with a fancy Starstone that magnifies my natural abilities about a hundredfold or so, so while I have plenty of combat experience to my credit it's a little hard to get the edge in these exchanges. What I do with enhancement comes entirely natural for him, and there's only so much that raw skill can do to make up for that difference, though I give it the old college try and hope like hell that reinforcements are in the offing.

I've been a fencer nearly all of my life, from the time before I could first walk my father taught me how to thrust with grace, and my moves have been honed by thousands of battles stretching over the length of my three thousand years. I don't boast to say that I'm one of the best blade-smiths around and an expert with just about every sharp object that's ever been designed for thrusting, so by rights I should have it easy over a glorified pencil pusher from the cosmic accounting department. Trouble is this Celestine is good and must date back to a time when Gods still had to get their hands occasionally dirty here on Midgard. This guy obviously hasn't been slouching off during the centuries that he's been locked away in his moon prison, so for every trick I use against him he knows the counter and he's quick enough to use it. I get the distinct impression that he's even a bit amused by my efforts, definitely not a good sign as he has yet to break a sweat in the past fifteen minutes or so that this exchange has been in progress.

We're not just fighting with swords, of course, since both of us have access to resources that the average brawler would never even imagine. I'm striking with lightning quick moves from a variety of angles using Temporal Fugue and Dimensional Overlay, and when our blades strike sparks there's a big reverberation as the air about us cracks and breaks with the clash of static tension. If I had some shadows to draw upon I could beef up my efforts, of course, but I'm not entirely certain if even that would give me the angle I need. This guy is just plain good, and I'm rapidly exhausting my arsenal of tricks as nothing seems to work against him, not physical projectiles and certainly not magic.

"Don't feel too bad about this, Shadowmane," he tells me, "You're good as mortals go, but I have skills you do not even imagine at my disposal, and this fight is already as good as finished."

"Just keep saying that," I counter, then I once more attempt to appeal to what rationality I can sense is within him, "You know that what you're offering people isn't eternal peace...it's eternal stagnation."

"But that is what they have been promised over the centuries, and it is what I intend to give them," my opponent counters, "A life without toil and suffering, where the only goal to aspire towards is the fellowship of the common man and woman."

"Yeah, well, I never liked those religious nuts who go on about that," I shrug, pretty much deciding there and then that he is not going to budge, that I have to take him down before I can make him see reason.

I keep looking for that opening that ought to be there, the crack or fissure in the dimensional overlays that he's using to maintain his physical presence. Underneath his exterior guise there is a small child who looks to be around nine to eleven, who is imprisoned within the web of energy lattices that surround Celestine's faux body. The real him is the pendant the girl is wearing, and if I can somehow get it off of her this fight will be as good as finished. I can deal with a fancy hunk of Talisman any day, but when it comes to fighting a full God...well...even Greystar has its limits.

Of course I do know spells that could probably turn the battle back to my advantage, and if I had a moment to summon the power I could draw down some divine help of my own to even the odds more than a bit. Problem is I'd need a few seconds to do that and my energies are presently centered on the more immediate task of staying alive. Also too, the more destructive magics that I could employ might hurt the kid a lot more than Celestine, and I'm just not ruthless enough to want to have to do that. Innocents pay the penalty of the big boys playing rough every day, but there has to be a limit to what I'll put up with, and I draw the line at massacre and the slaughter of even one helpless child. Yes, I know that's not a very practical value to carry around for an Assassin, but there's a big difference between collateral damage that's unavoidable and stuff you do in cold blood, and I'd much rather sleep peacefully during my evenings. Whoever the kid is, she isn't to blame for Celestine's actions. Also too there's the danger that he might draw on her life force if pressed, and that would suck her dry with the Ginzuishou resting on her breast. I know full well that that crystal can do, and while I'm naturally immune to its effects the same can't be said for its current wielder.

"At least let the kid go when this is over," I urge as I break off my latest thrust and take a defensive stance to buy myself some breathing space.

"I have no intention of harming the child named Saotome Meiko," Celestine replied, "I regret the need that I must make of her to achieve my goals, but..."

"Saotome Meiko?" I repeat with a sudden burst of comprehension, "You mean...?"

"Exactly," Celestine replies, and with a should-have-seen-it-coming move, he suddenly knocks my sword out of my hand, disarming me for the first time in eons as the tip of his own blade comes to rest up against my chin, "Ranma's daughter by a girl of the house of Tendo...the bloodlines that mingle several other rather important genetic strains. How else do you think that she can serve as such an excellent vessel for my uses, Starlord? But then again, your people use ordinary mortals all the time, so I hardly need to explain the concept."

He's got me dead to rights, and for the first time in ages I have to acknowledge a superior opponent. I frown rather than show fear and say, "So, what's next on your agenda, or are you gonna stand around here and talk me to death?"

"You need not worry," he smiles, "This was a rather refreshing exercise, the best I've had in ages. If Urd or one of my other pupils over the centuries had shown as much spirit as you then I would have been a very proud teacher indeed, and I would be as loath to destroy a work of art as to kill you. Fortunately, I do have a use for you, and so your life I will spare...at least for the moment."

"Huh?" I feel the energy shift beneath me and risk glancing down, and then I see my feet are sinking up to boot-level into a pool of shimmering light that forms, leaving me only enough time to sputter, "Hey, wait a minute!" before I get sucked down and wind up joining the others...

Continuum #11838954

"What a revolting development this is."

"What makes you say that, Ranma-kun?" Nabiki asked as they watched the old-  
fashioned, open-style convertible roll past loaded down with teenagers and with a certain familiar driver at the helm and four lovely ladies riding to the side and back with a fastfood-chomping Ryoga.

"Just call it a hunch," Ranma grumbled as he saw his young counterpart drive past, "Mighty wicked sense of humor this guy has. First he leads us to that dinosaur island with all of us shipwrecked and living like primitive cave people, then that ultra-high tech wonder-palace chock full of technological devices on top of a pole about a mile over the ground, and now this...a virtual rolling soap opera full of pop-kitsche references. I mean, do I have to draw an obvious line here and point out that this guy has seen way too many American-  
style cartoons?"

"Oh, I don't know about that," Peorth remarked, "I rather enjoyed the one where you and your friends were mystery-sleuth-type amateur detectives going around investigating supernatural cases, though I'll admit that the talking dog was a little much, even for a Jusenkyo victim..."

"You would like that one," Ranma sniffed, "You were in it."

"Ranma-kun," Nabiki gently chided, then sighed, "I am about to admit to being stymied here. I have followed the trail as best I could but we seem to be getting no where rapidly, Mom, so if you have any creative suggestions to offer here..."

"You're actually asking for my advice?" Peorth was delighted, "I'm touched!"

"Yeah, we know," Ranma sniffed, "Nabiki, no offense intended, but are we really that desperate?"

"Do you want to continue wandering through parallel universes seeing how you lived in a variety of increasingly bizarre alternate lifestyles?" Nabiki pointed out.

"Ah...well..." Ranma thought about it then winced, feeling caught between a rock and a hard place, a feeling with which he was altogether too familiar.

"Son-in-law," Peorth gently chided, "One would get the impression that you didn't trust me to steer us to the right location this time around. At least have some patience...you know that some of us are talented in other areas than mindless mayhem and destruction."

"Yeah, but when I destroy stuff it's 'cause I mean to destroy it," Ranma shot back, then nervously added, "You sure you can get a bead on the location of this guy? If he's good enough to confuse even Nabiki..."

"It's true that Celestine was always rather clever, even for a God," Peorth replied, "But he has been imprisoned for nearly a thousand years while I have remained active in constantly upgrading the systems at Yggdrasil. Now that the Central Computer is aware of his meddlesome activities it should be relatively easy to sense where the disturbance in the flow of dimension energies is greatest and cannot be accounted for through other sources. So, without further ado, it's time I showed you kids what being a goddess is really all about..."

"Winds of time, heed thy summoning Mistress!  
Blow ye winds to where the waves of force Are disturbed by the clash of competing energies,  
And carry us to the shores of the Hurricane's Needle..."

A vortex seemed to open up before them and then a long booming tube formed that beckoned to them like a swirling energy tunnel. A instant later they were across to the other side and could relax once again as they stared around at their new surroundings, a plane of peace and contentment with a large set of towering pillars rising up to one side of them, situated at what looked and felt like a high mountain top, though there was no essential feeling of a change in air pressure.

"I don't believe it," Ranma said as he looked around, "You actually did it."

"Why sound so surprised, Son-in-law?" Peorth said smugly, "After all, I am a goddess."

"I wouldn't celebrate that fact too soon right now, Mom," Nabiki cautioned as she glanced around with a very uneasy expression, "That one was a little too easy, and the sense that I'm getting of this place...great power...energy like I've never felt before...what?"

She turned and stared at the giant pillars, looking up and up as Ranma copied her gesture, and then Peorth noticed them as well and her expression took on a look of shock and dismay as she said, "Ashkalon? The Gate of Judgement? But...?"

"Surprised to see it here, Peorth, my one-time student?"

"I just knew it," Ranma growled as he whirled around, "It's a trap, and we fell for it!"

"Indeed you did," said Celestine as he manifested before their eyes, "Welcome, I've been waiting a long time to see the both of you. How nice of you to drop in, and perfect timing."

"Why do I suspect that we were lured here through that circuitous route we took?" Nabiki asked in dry, sardonic humor.

"Yes, about that," Celestine noted, "Did you enjoy the little tour through how the other side lives, Saotome-san? Did you find your little trip...educational?"

"Why you-!" Ranma started to lunge forward, covering the forty-meter distance in an instant with a fist at the ready and aimed for the other man's face.

But at the last instant Celestine faded away, and in his place stood the eleven year old Meiko, who was staring up at him wide-eyed and saying, "Daddy?"

"Huh?" Ranma stumbled, halting his punch only centimeters short of target as he deflected his own inertia away from his daughter, which unfortunately left him wide open as he lumbered past Meiko, even as Celestine reappeared once again around the child, his hand flashing out and striking the powerful leather-clad Time Agent on the back of his neck, felling him like a redwood.

"Celestine!" Peorth cried out, "You bastard!"

"Ranma-kun!" Nabiki cried in the same voice, then she glared hatefully at the god and said, "You've stolen Meiko's body...and you're using it as a shield, Monster?"

"A regrettable yet necessary element of my plans, alas," Celestine said as Ranma fought to regain his footing, only to go down again as the God waved a hand and caused bands of living plastic to rope our and ensnare the leather-clad Time Cop, "Saotome Meiko is a key to my plans, but you need have no fear for her welfare since I intend the child no harm whatsoever."

"What's your game, you Devil?" Peorth demanded, "What are you up to this time? Surely you're not mad enough to attempt what you tried to do in the past...?"

"If, by that, you mean am I going to overthrow the established order that you represent and replace it with my own improved version, then I plead guilty," Celestine replied, "But please, don't bother to call it madness. Sanity is such a tenuous concept, more a shared conceit than a viable state of mind, and as such the real insanity would be in permitting the current system to prevail over what I have long planned to bring into effect."

"Think we're just gonna let you get away with this?" Ranma fumed as he fought to free himself from the crimson bands that were attempting to ensnare him.

"By no means," Celestine replied, "I expect you to resist me to the end, which will prove futile as even the God of Destruction inside you in the end will be absorbed into the new matrix. But then again, I should thank you for delivering the means for my victory straight into my hands, Saotome, and how obligingly you came when I opened the door for you to find me...Tendo Nabiki."

"Eh...what?" Nabiki blinked, "Me?"

"You are the key component that I need to complete my equation," Celestine explained, "Your presence is essential to the Matrix, which is why I staged all of this for your benefit, Lore Master. Time now to claim you for the fulfillment of my designs."

"Over my dead-MPPH!" Ranma gasped as the crimson bands found their way up to his mouth.

"No way are you laying a finger on my daughter, you fiend!" Peorth cried as her hands began to glow with power, only to yelp as more crimson bands encircled her, while still others rose up from the floor and pinned Nabiki's arms to her side, right before she was engulfed in a globe of energy that rendered her motionless.

Ranma saw this and struggled all the more, drawing upon his reserves to bolster his natural might, but before he could bring this new force to bear he found himself being sucked down into the floor, and for a moment there was only darkness before at last he found himself being deposited...elsewhere...

"So, let me see if I got this straight," Ranma said as he studied the expressions of his six counterparts, "On your world I'm some kind of multi-  
tasking genius, right?"

"More or less," said Doc Saotome, who was busy stretching out with isometric tension exercises, all the while making an odd trilling noise that he seemed only half-conscious of himself.

"What the heck are you doing?" asked the blue robed Wizard Ranma.

"What I always do when I'm trying to think out a problem," Doc Saotome replied, "It's a routine my father taught me when I was just a boy that I do for two hours each day to sharpen my mind and body. It also helps me to relax and lets me stay focused on a given problem."

"Looks like a lot of sweat and labor to me," Super Ran remarked, "But then again, I guess your Pop's techniques are as effective in their way as mine tend to be."

"Posh full of nonsense," said the pipe-smoking Hobbit Ranma from where he sat on the floor taking it easy, "You'll give yourself a hernia doing that, my lad. Try sitting still and enjoy a good smoke, I always say, helps clear the fog away and gives you a fresh perspective on what life is all about."

"This waiting is infuriating," growled Gaius in a dangerous humor, "When is our captor going to show his hand, or is boring us to death his idea of high entertainment?"

"A warrior is wisest who looks to take advantage of even a moment of respite, my friend," said the Samurai Ranma, "This trap that we are in is most puzzling as it seems to have no door or hinge, yet is composed of light containing the seven of us in some sort of magical energy prison."

"Yeah, that's bothering me too," Doc Saotome admitted, "Obviously our foe is a highly sophisticated being or life form capable of manipulating energies with the ease with which another man might wield a paintbrush..."

"These are not ordinary magical energies," the Wizard Ranma revealed, "I can feel the way that they're constructed and when I shift my vision I make out the lattices and linking patterns that holds these fields together in a highly sophisticated spell of unknown origins. Since our opponent claims to be a God, it stands to reason that his power level is well beyond the capability of any ordinary type of being..."

"I don't really believe in magic," Doc Saotome said, "Everything can be explained through science, it just takes a higher understanding of how such energies can be manipulated by a living being, and I suspect this so-called 'God' uses technology to augment his seemingly miraculous powers."

"Don't believe in magic, eh?" Hobbit Ranma sounded amused, "Then how do you explain Jusenkyo curses?"

"Look, I don't claim to be the one who has all of the answers," Doc Saotome replied, "But for me to accept the idea of something as non-causal as a magic spell..."

"Magic has its causes and effects, Bro," Wizard Ranma replied, "If I were you I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss what you obviously don't understand, and take it from me, Magic is as much a science as an art, and it has a lot more dimensions to its operation than you seem to imagine."

"Look, what's the difference?" Ranma argued, "If it works, it works, right?"

"The boy does make a kind of sense," said Gaius, "Just because you can explain some things through technology does not mean that magic is mere conjurer's tricks and potions. I myself was exposed to the Amazon variety when I took my woman for my warrior bride..."

"Uh...that's the thing I don't get here," Super Ran remarked, "You say you're married to both Shampoo and Akane?"

"Lady Agripina," Gaius corrected, "And yes, such things are legal, though Xian Pu is my common law wife and Lady Agripina is my official wife. In legal terms Xian Pu is more of a concubine, but she is the mother of my two children, and I honor her in all the ways that matter."

"That doesn't sound right," Ranma said, "Do you love both of them just as much?"

"Love both of them?" Gaius seemed genuinely surprised by the question, "My marriage to Lady Agripina is to unite our houses and to legitimize my claims to one day become a Lord of the Region. She is a Roman citizen and as such conveys a proper rank, title and status to House Saotome. We get along and do like each other, as these things go, but love is not essential to such a marriage. If we want for romantic love, then she might as well have married my comrade in arms, Ronald Hibiki."

"I can't imagine marrying anyone for politics instead of love," Super Ran noted, "It doesn't seem right to me either to play one girl off of another."

"Odd to hear you say that, lad," Hobbit Ranma mused as he took another puff on his pipe, "Considering the kin you'll be fathering in the near future. One from each of the girls who favor you, I'd reckon...Vidori from Kodachi, Tetsui from Ucchan, Akai from Akane and Murai from Shampoo, the little darling..."

"Obviously you learn to employ more flexible standards to yourself in the future," Samurai Ranma softly noted, "And since one of your women has a child by another man, it stands to reason you come to believe in the concept of sharing. Strange to think that the child I will have in the future was born of the lady Nabiki. She is passing fair, indeed, and has a cunning mind, but I do not yet see why I favored her suit over that of her two sisters."

"I don't get it either," Wizard Ranma admitted, "Why Nabiki of all people? Ukyo or Shampoo I could maybe understand, maybe even Akane..."

"Huh?" Ranma asked, "What do you mean?"

"Don't take this the wrong way, Bro," Wizard Ranma said, "But the Nabiki I know is a cold-hearted manipulative Ice Queen money-grubbing witch who likes toying with peoples' emotions just to prove how smug and superior she can be over everyone else in Nerima. The idea that I could get to like her enough to want to marry her, let alone sleep with her...eeew! I'd feel safer with a rattlesnake, and a snake wouldn't charge me for the privilege later."

"Oh come on," Ranma said, "Aren't you exaggerating a bit? I mean...she seemed nice enough to me..."

"Wait until you get to know her better," Super Ran sniffed, "On my world Nabiki's more than just greedy, she's kinky as hell and only likes sleeping with other women."

"Like Kodachi?" Wizard Ranma shuddered, "Now there's an idea to give me nightmares!"

"How say you this?" Gaius frowned, "The counterpart to the lady Nocturna is not to your liking?"

"You could put it that way, my lad," Hobbit Ranma remarked, "The whips and chains the Kodachi I know uses are just her notion of sweet affection, but thankfully she looks to Mousse for that instead of me these days. Nabiki, on the other hand...she makes a pretty fair Goblin, and that much reflects her inner nature as her outer persona I'd reckon."

"The Lady Messalina is well known to be a plotter and a schemer very quick to employ potions and blackmail schemes to win her advantage," Gaius admitted, "And yet...it is most unfair to say that she cares only about money. I know, for a fact, that she loves her family well and would risk her own skin to protect them from ill fortune. Perhaps that, as much as their common slyness, is why she gets along so well with my lady Nocturna."

Samurai Ranma heaved a sigh and said, "Maybe you are right in this, yet I see it as no great disadvantage to court the favor of an intelligent lady who understands the ways of court and can plot intrigue with the best of them. On my world we call such a person a survivor."

"I still don't believe she's as bad as you guys say she is," Ranma said stubbornly, "And besides...we have a kid of our own..." he paused to blink before saying, "A son...I mean...I'm not old enough to have a son, but maybe one of these days...if I get really lucky..."

"Obviously you did," Super Ran remarked, then blinked before adding, "We all did...and me as much as anyone else here."

"If you're going to brag about that," Doc Saotome said without breaking his routine, "Then do it quietly, I'm trying to concentrate here."

"Maybe you should take a break from that," Hobbit Ranma sniffed, "I'm getting exhausted just watching you work yourself up to exhaustion."

"I wouldn't be so quick to crow about your prospects with Nabiki, Bro," the Wizard Ranma remarked, "Just take your time and get to know her before you rush into anything. I had a hell of a time just separating myself from the horrible mess my Pop got me into with his idea of multiple engagements..."

"Huh?" normal Ranma blinked, "Multiple engagements?"

"Oh yeah," the Wizard Ranma sniffed, "First he goes and engages me to marry one of the Tendo sisters when I'm just a baby, and somehow I wind up getting stuck with a violent Tomboy named Akane who never listens to me and always reacts to everything by hitting. Then I get engaged to Ukyo when we're both just six years of age and don't even know that we've been handfasted, then Pop goes and does the same thing with a bunch of other girls and then leaves it to me to find out about it years later. After that there's his bright idea of taking me to the Magical Training Grounds of Jusenkyo, and never mind that it's been cursed to cause anyone who falls into one of the pools to turn into the thing that last drowned there...in my case a cute redhead. Following that we wind up in that Amazon village where Pop winds up eating the prize at a table that belongs to their tribal champion, and that's how I wound up having Shampoo in my life..."

"Interesting," Samurai Ranma mused, "Your adventures closely parallel my own up to this point...all save the part about engaging me to Kuonji Ukyo...I think."

"Better check to make sure about that if I were you," Super Ran advised, "If your Pop's anything like mine, then you can't be too careful."

"Oy," Hobbit Ranma saluted that note with a tip from his corn pipe.

"Oh yeah," Wizard Ranma grimaced, "Then there's that run-in I had with that Necromantic Witch, Kodachi, and boy was that ever a case of hemlock! She's totally nuts and thinks I'm her darling Ranma-sama! And that laugh of hers...it'd frighten a Banshee! I know-because I saw one run from her in terror."

Ranma studied his counterpart and then said, "You had all these girls engaged to you?"

"Yeah," Wizard Ranma shrugged, "I was engaged to three of them, at least. Kodachi...she was just a loon. Ukyo and Akane were the official fianc es, but with Shampoo...well, tribal law says that she has to marry the outsider male who defeated her in magical combat, which I did, more fool me, so by their standards she was my wife, not that I ever took her oaths too seriously. I mean...she was nice and all, but a little scary."

"Scary?" Samurai Ranma asked, "How so?"

"Well, the way she'd grab onto me all the time and try and hug and kiss me and tell me I was her beloved husband," Wizard Ranma answered, "And she'd never take no for an answer, just try to hang around with me and hope I'd notice her and all that. I mean, that got pretty old after a while, but she never took a hint and left me alone, and Akane thought I was actually encouraging her...go figure!"

"The versions I've seen so far seem nice enough," Doc Saotome noted while going into a new routine.

"Now lad," Hobbit Ranma sniffed, "I'm thinking you're doing the lass a wee injustice here. Stop and think a moment about her side of the story. I mean...according to you she's lawfully bound to be your wife, and what happens to her if she fails to claim you as a husband?"

"She would be dishonored before her tribe," Gaius said darkly, "Her name would be stricken from their memory and she would always be known as a disgrace and a failure because she could not claim you for a husband."

"That's why you married her?" Super Ran asked.

"Aye," Gaius replied, "But then I found, much to my own surprise, that I much treasured her company, that her bravery and loyalty were never to be questioned, and her beauty is unsurpassed among the women I have known. I fell in love with her and have never regretted it since...but you...you spurned her love and deliberately caused her to lose face?"

"Hey!" Wizard Ranma protested, "I never did anything to Shampoo besides defend myself in a contest, and how was I to know they'd rigged it so I'd lose either way? It's not my fault if they have these weird customs about marrying outsiders, and I tried to do right by her when I found out that they were gonna drive her out of her tribe. I went to talk to their elders and even worked out a compromise so Shampoo could keep her honor...and how did she repay me? By drugging me and getting herself pregnant!"

"Pregnant?" Hobbit Ranma cocked an eyebrow then said, "Ah...I see...the lad who showed up claiming you for a father...even had your Jusenkyo curse, if I remember rightly..."

"Hey, I never agreed to father no kid on her!" the Wizard Ranma flared, "And I don't see why I should..."

"I don't believe this!" normal Ranma spoke up in protest, "You son of a bitch! You mean to say you just flip off this girl because she wants to be with you, and you complain about it when she sleeps with you and has your baby?"

"Huh?" Wizard Ranma frowned, "What are you complaining abou? It didn't happen to you yet."

"Yeah, I know!" Ranma snapped, "Nothing like that's ever happened to me...nothing like that ever happens to me! I'll bet it won't happen to me if I ever get back to my own world! And you know why? 'Cause I've never been to China! I hardly ever go anywhere! I've stayed at home and studied all of my life and I hardly ever even get to see my father, and girls just don't notice me at all! I'm nobody special, I don't have multiple fianc es coming onto me...I don't have anything like that!"

"Why are you getting angry?" Super Ran asked.

"Because of you guys!" Ranma exploded, "Look at you! I mean, you've got everything going for you! You've had luck and girls and you're way cool martial artists! You've had adventures doing stuff that I can't even dream about because I know my mom and dad would never let me! Girls think you're cool and you don't have to work at getting their attention...and you think you've had it rough? GIVE ME A FRIGGING BREAK!"

"You think our lives are all song and adventure, Boy?" Gaius asked,

"It's a hard life living on the open road always having to protect yourself from unknown dangers," Samurai Ranma cautioned.

"Yeah, I'm sure there's a downside, but look at the advantages!" Ranma pointed out, "You're the top dogs in your school, right? People respect and look up to you, then don't shrug and ignore you and treat you like a mattress!"

"Well, that would hardly make sense in my case..." Super Ran shrugged his broad shoulders.

"My school was an Academy," Doc Saotome noted, "Only peers are allowed to study there, and they demanded the best from all of us, which is why my brother, sisters and friends all attended school there...except for Akane, who was a sports star even when she was little."

"Like that's a bad thing?" Ranma argued, "I do all right but I'm not the top in my class or anything, but you...you've got more degrees than I've got detention slips! And you're friends are pretty cool, even your version of Ryoga! Me, I don't have more than a few friends and most of them are in Juuban, and the Ukyo I knew...man! What I wouldn't have given up if she could have been my fianc e! And that Shampoo...you gotta be kidding me that you gotta be drugged before you'd sleep with a babe like that!"

"Babe?" Wizard Ranma arched an eyebrow.

"Man, don't you got eyes in your head?" Ranma fumed, cupping his hands over his own chest, "I mean...look at her and tell me if you don't see a fox worth dying for! And you tell me you found it annoying when she tried to hug and kiss you? What are you, Gay or something?"

"No way!" Wizard Ranma protested with a bit more haste than he had intended, "I like women...sort of...but they're more trouble than they're worth most of the time..."

"More trouble than they're worth?" Ranma threw up his hands, "I give up! Listen to Mister Kami's -gift-to-all-women! You think you're too special to bother with them? I got news for you, YOU DON'T DESERVE TO HAVE SO MANY GIRLFRIENDS!"

Wizard Ranma began to scowl as he growled back, "You don't know what the hell you're talking about..."

"And you do?" Ranma shot back, only to find Super Ran had come to stand between them.

"Easy there, let's calm down everybody and not got at it," Super Ran urged.

"There speaks wisdom, Lad," Hobbit Ranma remarked, "And if I were you I'd be careful about riling up our Wizard friend here. It's an old saying that Wizards are subtle and quick to anger..."

"Yeah, bite me," Ranma sighed, "I just don't see why a jerk like you should be so lucky..."

"Lucky?" Wizard Ranma scowled, but then he swept the bangs over his forehead aside to reveal a jagged mark that creased his skin over one eyebrow, like a very old scar long healed, "Take a look at this, Friend, and tell me how I'm lucky? This was a curse laid on me when I was little by an enemy who was trying to kill me. I survived, but my life's been marked ever since! I'm a whipping boy for the gods and they love to play their little jokes on me when I'm not looking. They jinxed any chance I had with Akane and ruined my friendship with Ukyo, while Kodachi...I'd be willing to bet somebody cast a love spell on her to make her fixate on me...and Shampoo..."

"Are you certain that it is a curse you speak of?" Samurai Ranma asked as he fingered his own katana, "I have always believed that we make our own fate, and whenever we are inattentive and leave the fates an opening, then we have only ourselves to blame when the kami exploit this to our disadvantage."

"Now on that we are agreed," Gaius snorted, "Our fate is in our own hands, the Gods may will us to be their playthings, yet we do not have to bow and scrape to their every bidding."

"Which kind of brings us around full circle," Doc Saotome said as he completed his latest routine of pushups and sit-ups, "Since it's a God who claims that he's going to remake our destinies for us."

"Yeah, well...say what you like," Ranma shrugged, "But I can't believe you think it's such a bad thing to be where you are."

"Now lad, you're being rash and hasty there," Hobbit Ranma said, "After all, would you want to be the one who wears a Jusenkyo curse?"

"Yeah," Wizard Ranma snorted, "How'd you like to turn into a woman every time you get splashed with cold water?"

"I don't know," Ranma said stubbornly, "I'd have to go through it to know what it's like. But there's worse things that could happen..."

"Oh?" Super Ran asked, "Like what?"

"Man, are you guys for real?" Ranma looked at them askance, "Do I really gotta spell it out? The possibilities, Man...I mean...don't you ever wonder?"

"Wonder?" Gaius raised an eyebrow.

"He means about being able to study a woman's body without needing to find an agreeable woman," Samurai Ranma explained, "And on that I will concede that I, myself, have a time or two found myself tempted."

"Study what it's like to..." Wizard Ranma winced, "That's sick!"

"No," Doc Saotome replied, "That would be research."

"Maybe for you it is," Super Ran remarked, then added with a puzzled expression, "Research into what?"

"Sex, Man!" Hobbit Ranma replied, "Don't you ever think about sex?"

"Um...well..." Super Ran scratched his head, "I think a lot about eating..."

"Eating out a girl?" Ranma asked.

"Eating out a girl?" Gaius frowned, "You mean cannibalism?"

"No," Samurai Ranma said with a tired, pained expression, "He does not."

"The function he is describing is called cunnilingus," Doc Saotome noted, "I've never practiced it myself, but I hear it is...highly effective at stimulating a woman..."

"Yeah, well...the point is," Ranma resumed, "That I can't see why you'd complain about having a girl like that Shampoo come onto you. Hell, if I even had a girl like Nabiki do that with me..."

"Well, don't I feel special."

"Huh?" Ranma whirled around, glancing at the corner to their cage, "Nabiki?"

"I'm on the other side of this wall, Baka," the mercenary Tendo replied, "I can't see you very well, but I sure can hear you boys very well indeed."

"You mean you're in the next cage over?" Doc Saotome asked.

"I'm not sure how to describe these things, but I guess you could call them cages," the unseen Nabiki responded, "Guess that Celestine character decided to separate the boys from the girls. We're all here together in one big, snug little glowing yellow cavern. Guess maybe our kids are in another cell some ways over..."

"And you've been listening to us prattle on all of this time, girl?" Hobbit Ranma asked.

"Sure have, Sugar," this time it was Ukyo's voice who drawled on in amusement, "But don't stop on our account. This is sure a lot more entertaining that just staring at nothing."

"I'd tend to agree with you on that, Sugar," said another version of Ukyo who leaned up against the wall of the lady's cell, "It's fascinating hearing Doc argue things out with himself. I think it's really funky!"

"Funky?" a third Ukyo more dourly remarked, "I'd say it sounds definitely more like being schizo."

"Oh, just cool it for a minute there, Ranger Bob," sniffed a fourth Ukyo before saying, "Ranchan...why do you think it is that there's four of me and Shampoo here, five of Nabiki and six different versions of Akane?"

"That's a very good question," Super Ran turned to his counterparts and said, "Anyone figure that one out yet?"

"Not a clue," Wizard Ranma admitted, "The numbers don't add up no matter how I try them out in different numerological arrangements."

"Maybe the numbers do not really matter," remarked Gaius, "Perhaps there is some other significance to our presence."

"Our host mentioned something about using us for bait to trap yet another," Samurai Ranma frowned, "But another what?"

"Another like us?" Hobbit Ranma suggested.

"Yeah, and I wonder what he's like?" Ranma sniffed, "With my luck he'll be a eunuch."

"Let's hope not, Sugar," one of the Ukyos said in tones that sounded like leering, and which gave normal Ranma a definite hard-on.

"Take a cold shower, you guys," one of the Akanes spoke up, "Honestly, you girls are disgusting..."

"Yeah, almost as bad as men," another Akane scoffed.

"Drooling hormone-mad perverts the lot of them," a third Akane agreed.

"Oh, I don't know," a fourth Akane remarked, "I think guys are kind of cute..."

"You think everything is cute," a fifth Akane snorted.

"Aye, and I grow nauseous hearing you sing the praises of the Ranma you associate with," a sixth Akane agreed dryly, "He is nothing but an arrogant, self-opinionated, stuck-up..."

"HEY!" several versions of Ranma protested in immediate chorus.

"This is giving me such a headache..." one of the Shampoos sourly noted.

"Oh?" another Shampoo asked, "Would you care for a massage, Sister? I find those tend to invigorate me myself..."

"Aiyaa!" a third Shampoo chirruped brightly, "Much, much rather give backrub to Airen!"

"Hai!" another cheerful Shampoo agreed, "Learn many nice back-rub technique from Valkyrie sisters up in Valhalla..."

"I'm starting to wonder if this is such a good thing after all," the normal Ranma murmured under his breath.

"How's that, Mister?" the Nabiki who spoke to him before inquired.

"Um...nothing," Ranma hastily responded.

There was a slight pause before he heart that Nabiki ask again, "Would really want to go out with me if you had the chance?"

"Um...sure...why not?" Ranma reacted in surprise, "Any reason not to?"

"Other than me being called a money-grubbing heartless mercenary by your Enchanter friend there?" a more nasty-sounding Nabiki grated.

"As if he's any great prize," snorted another Nabiki.

"Oh, I wouldn't be too quick to dismiss him there, Girls," came the sly response of yet another Nabiki, "From what I've heard he's not short in that department..."

"Oh really?" the fifth Nabiki asked, "And do you know this from first-hand experience?"

"Well...that would be telling, and I'd have to charge you..."

"Gah, give me a break here!" one Akane turned around and huffed, folding her arms over her chest, "If I have to listen to one of you talk like a pervert, Nabiki, do I have to hear all of you behave the same way?"

"So what's your problem?" asked the more kawaii version of Akane, "I don't see why we should be more upset about that than getting out of this cage and beating up on the bad guy."

"I hear your sentiments and agree with them," said the Akane wearing a kimono, "Staying here while that...God plots our undoing is hardly an enlightened prospect."

"I would tend to agree," Lady Agripina remarked, "But do you have any useful suggestions that might effect our early release?"

"Somebody do something before I go crazy!" the Akane wearing a Furinkan school uniform threw up her hands and said, "Even Nerima isn't this insane!"

"You sure about that?" asked the Dwarf version of Akane.

"Forget I said anything," the first Akane who had spoken rolled her eyes and pivoted around on one foot before storming off towards the opposite corner of the room.

Xian Pu watched the Akane from her timeline move off to the side, thought a moment, then decided to follow suit, moving up as close beside the other girl as could be afforded within the cramped space of their energy prison.

"Mind if I ask you something?" she coaxed her voice low so that it would not be easily picked up by the others.

"You just did," that Akane sniffed.

Xian Pu decided her course of action and sank down to the floor with her back to the wall, positioning herself right beside her nominal rival before saying, "Why are you such a bitch?"

Akane reacted to this with surprise, "What do you mean?"

"I mean...from the first moment I set eyes on you all you do is growl, snort, glare and chew peoples head off...that and hit them when they really piss you off," Xian Pu replied, "So what's your secret? Do you put Uber Bitch in your tea in the morning?"

Akane glared at the purple haired genius with annoyance, but rather than snap back at the other girl she instead remarked, "You're the first one who's asked me that in a long time. Even Nabiki stopped asking, and she's curious about everything."

"Yeah," Xian Pu agreed, eyeing the five different Nabikis in residence, "No offense, but that's some sister you've got there."

"Got any sisters of your own?" Akane asked.

"Two younger sisters, twins," Xian Pu revealed, "And sometimes they drive me a little crazy..."

"Then you know a little something about how I feel," Akane responded, "Only both my sisters are older, and they're certified geniuses. Kasumi's a Doctor and Nabiki...well...she's a top-flight mechanic and inventor, and she studied law at a young age so she'd become a patent attorney. Try measuring up to that sometime, I double-dare you."

Xian Pu raised an eyebrow, "You resent them for that?"

"In a way I do," Akane murmured faintly, "I'm not as smart as either of them, never could work tables and do formulas in my head and all that. I can't think in Code when programming a computer, I can't even boil water right without burning down the kitchen. About the only things I'm really good at are martial arts and sports, and you should see what my family thinks about having a Jock in the House..."

"They ridicule you for that?" Xian Pu marveled.

"Not in so many words," Akane replied, "But Dad sometimes looks at me and I can almost feel how sorry he is that I can't follow in my sister's footsteps. He's proud of the martial arts that are taught in our school, but he'd be just as happy if I could spout off polysyllables and recite lengthy formulas. I mean, do you have any idea what it's like to be the daughter of Doctor of Philosophy Soun Tendo and Colonel Kimiko Tendo, my mother?"

"Colonel?" Xian-Pu arched her other eyebrow, "Your mother was in the army?"

"An Imperial Test Pilot and Fighter-Jock...before the day when she married my Dad," Akane sighed, "She used to love flying airplanes, told me all about it and made it seem like such a big deal. I don't get good enough grades to qualify for the Pilot academy, so I won't be following in her footsteps, especially not since Dad got me engaged to that...Ranma," she spoke the word with contempt and exasperation.

"You don't like him?" Xian Pu asked.

"What's not to like?" Akane rolled her eyes, "He's got looks, brains, a great body, a good career...you should hear Dad outline his positive qualities, like he's on inventory or something. A girl would have to be crazy not to like him...or so everybody thinks, but just try spending time with him in private when he's got his mind on his research and one of that endless stream of projects he's always working on. But what am I talking about? You'd probably love that..."

"That all depends," Xian Pu said, "So, he has his head in the clouds and tends to ignore you?"

"Like I'm not even in the same room, let alone the same planet," Akane sighed, "I've tried to talk to him like a normal person, but then he suddenly gets an idea...you can see from the way his eyes stray off into the distance and he doesn't really seem to be focusing on anything in particular. Then I could be standing there naked in front of him and he wouldn't even notice! He just wanders off and mumbles something about writing a formula down before he forgets it, and he never remembers to ask me about what kind of a day I'm having. Do you know, he's never once been to any of my tournaments?"

"Really?" Xian Pu marveled.

"Oh, he used to swing by to watch me, but I could tell how bored he was from the way he'd stop watching me fend the ball on the court and would start to talk to the person nearest to him about whatever," Akane huffed, "The first time he did that I hit the next ball right at him, bounced it off his face, got his attention."

"You what?" Xian Pu tried to imagine that and found it almost brought a snicker to her features.

"That was the first time I started to get violent with him," Akane sighed, "And ever since then...it's like I can't hold it in anymore. He does or says something to set me off and I snap. I don't mean to hit him, I'm not usually such a violent person, but at times I just want to make him stop looking away and start noticing me...and I can't remember the number of times I've wished that he'd treat me the way he treats his friends and even my sister!"

"Are you jealous that she spends more time with him than you do?" Xian Pu asked.

"Not really," Akane actually chuckled softly, though without much humor, "Nabiki's not really into men these days...not since she and Ukyo **found** each other..."

That got Xian Pu to blinking again, "You mean...those two...?"

"Take a good look and tell me what you see," Akane directed.

Xian Pu did so and saw at once what Akane was indicating, for there, out of direct line-of-sight of many of the others, she could see the Engineer and Electrician were most definitely holding hands together, and not just in an overly "friendly" manner...

"Ukyo is Ranma's sister," Akane explained, "There's never been any question about the fact that they're platonic with one another. Nabiki thinks Ranma is neat but doesn't turn onto him the way she does 'Long Wire" Ucchan, and that irritation she pretends to feel when Ukyo calls her "Ham" is just a ruse to throw people off. Or maybe it does irritate her, but she doesn't make any serious attempt to get Ukyo to stop doing it."

"You never really know about some people," Xian Pu remarked in soft-spoken wonder.

"In a way I envy them," Akane sighed, "They know how their affections run, and they're comfortable with one another. Me...I know this guy who I...kind of like, only he's too shy to do anything, and he won't cheat on his own brother..."

"Ryoga?" Xian Pu asked.

"He's everything that Ranma isn't," Akane replied, "He's considerate, polite, thinks nice of me, acts like a total gentleman and never behaves like he wishes I'd go away and bug somebody else. His only fault is that he's just too loyal to Ranma to even think of speaking out about his feelings, otherwise I'd gladly switch engagements in a heartbeat. He's strong, brave and intelligent, and he can be so cute when he stammers when trying to talk to me..."

"Sounds like quite a catch," Xian Pu mused, "So why can't you switch?"

"Because my father would have a heart-attack, and don't ask me the reason," Akane growled, "For some reason he's totally fixated on me marrying the head of the Saotome household, and Ryoga doesn't stand to inherit as much as his brother, even if he is a few months older."

"What a pity," Xian Pu remarked, "If you were an Amazon then you would never have to put up with this. You would at least have a choice in challenging the man you wanted to marry, and if he defeats you, then no one can say otherwise about it."

"That's how it's done with you?" Akane blinked and showed real surprise this time.

"It's a very old custom, one that's going out of fashion among my people," Xian Pu shrugged, "But the tradition among Amazons is that we're supposed to marry strong warrior husbands so as to preserve the bloodline and insure that we have the strongest women in all of China. Of course, how that applies to my father I'm not entirely sure since he's more of a soft-spoken engineering type than a fighter. My mother is a former Cosmo Beauty in our tribe and as such could have had her pick of men. Instead she settled on him after losing to him in a chess game."

"Really?" Akane chuckled, "Maybe I'd like to meet your dad sometime. Is he handsome?"

"I'm...not going to go into that," Xian Pu said evasively, surprising herself as she was starting to warm up to and sincerely like this version of Akane.

"Fair enough," Akane mused, "You know...you're a lot nicer than I thought you'd be. When you first showed up hanging around with Ranma...well...can you blame me if I got jealous?"

"I thought you didn't want him?" Xian Pu asked.

"I don't want him," Akane said flatly, "But seeing you reminded me of what a failure I've been in getting him to like me. I've known him a whole year and still he treats me like dirt, but then you walk in and in five minutes you've got him eating out of your hand, and you topped him off in his specialty of science. He actually noticed you, and I could tell from the way he was frowning when he looked in your direction."

"You think that means he likes me?" Xian Pu asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I think you've got a better chance with him than I ever did," Akane replied, "Then those kids from the future showed up and it's like-instant confirmation!"

"Uh...yeah..." Xian Pu said somewhat more nervously as she stared off into the distance, "But confirmation of what? I mean...does this mean I have to marry him, and do I get even a choice about it?"

"I'd say you already made your choice two minutes after you met him," Akane said as she eyed the other girl with a sidelong glance, "But if you can take him off my hands, then you're more than welcome to him."

"Gee, thanks."

"Don't mention it," Akane replied, then aloud she growled out, "I wish something would happen! This waiting around is driving me crazy!"

All at once the room brightened considerably, obscuring everyone's vision, and in the moment of realization that something was indeed happening, one of the Nabikis snapped out, "You just had to go and say that, Sis! You just had to go and say that...!"

And then the room turned white, and for a moment consciousness was reduced to nearly nothing...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Continuous Syllogisms: shadowmane

Thanks again to Scott Jamison for his suggestions that resulted in the latter scene between Akane and Xian Pu in this chapter. Such rich character study is what I love best in any fanfic! ^_^ I may not have written this the way he would have intended, but I think it gets my point across rather nicely and adds much-needed depth to the different takes on the Ranma cast within this series.

Next time more of Celestine's sinister ploy is revealed as the rebel god puts his plans into operation, while Ranma and Chakar chew the fat and Garimel chews scenery, Ranko continues to gather more allies while Peorth finds her situation less than divine in: "The Divining Line," or, "Where Oh Where has my Happosai Gone...?" Be there!

X -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: ~ All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	13. Chapter 13

RanWarp13

Realities Warped!

By Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi and other artists too numerous to mention.  
The Characters Chakar Shadowmane and Garimel Shalestar, however, was created by me, while Trella (RA Curtis) provided some of the characters and ideas that appear within this chapter, based on her series "Aiyaa, My Goddess!"  
Unsanctioned use by anyone else might get you flamed by the various authors-you have been warned!)

Chapter Thirteen

Four Horsemen of the Acropolis

Continuum #52413783 Gate of Ashkalon

"It's no use," Vidori said, "My ring won't work against these walls, and Kiiro can't seem to pound her way through. They're made of some kind of energy force-field, I'll reckon, which means we have to use a different means of getting out of here besides brute force and our superpowers."

"That's fine for you," Li Kung remarked, "But the rest of us are just ordinary martial artists. If you can't get through then we're all as good as stuck here until that Celestine guy decides to let us out..."

"Aye, but I would not think it wise to wait here for that occurrence, Brother,"  
Stormrider softly noted, "He strikes me as the sort of large planner who thinks very little of squashing a bug if it advances him up the road to his chosen destiny."

"Yeah, and that destiny could spell doom for everyone and everything," Ambrosias agreed, "I'd say our chances look better if we at least try and escape rather than sit around moping about it."

"Crom Criuch, would you at least think of something practical to do than all this talk?" Conan demanded, "Surely one of us here might discover the means of forcing an egress. No prison was ever made that lacked a means of escape, and this one is no different, I'll wager."

"Sis?" Kinma glanced towards Arashi.

"I'm still thinking it out," Arashi said, frowning with intense concentration,  
"Something doesn't add up about all of this. I'm working the formulas out in my head, but I can't seem to get the right numbers..."

"Fine, you do that," Sonya sniffed, "Wizards and Scientists. Give me a sharp blade and my own good right arm any day..."

"Something reliable," Tetsu agreed, "But don't underestimate scientists, we do have our uses."

"What I don't understand is why we were grabbed up along with our folks," Murai duly noted.

"Yeah, why us and not a bunch of other guys from our home timelines?" Akai seconded, "We may be hot stuff, but we know people from back home who are nearly as tough..."

"Obviously there is some element that links us all together," Mithril pondered,  
"It's like a riddle, or a jigsaw puzzle, each individual piece must fit together into an overall pattern."

"You serious?" Kiiro asked, "You actually think that there's a pattern to our being here?"

"There must be," Li Kung said, "I can't imagine that Celestine guy going to all this trouble without having it all figured out in his head just what he's going to do with us. I mean, you saw how easily he sent Uncle Ryoga back with the others?"

"He's a god," Stormrider said, "They tend to be like that."

"Well, some gods are random and capricious," Ambrosias noted, "But my impression of Celestine is that he's much more of a planner and a schemer than the sort of deity who would just pluck us out at random."

"So, what you're saying is that he has a use for us," Vidori frowned, "And one I'd bet we'd rather he not use..."

"Yeash," Murai winced, "I'm sure I won't want to know what he plans to do with me, not after all those guys back home who wanted to skin me alive and turn my fur into a rug..."

"Let's look at this logically," Mithril urged, "You five from your timeline have unusual powers, while Kinma and Arashi are geniuses, while Li Kung and Stormrider are clever and savvy, and Ambrosias here studies magic. Conan is a doctor, his sister's a fighter, and me...I'm part giantess. Those are our strengths as I can define them and if you put them all together..."

"I'VE GOT IT!" Arashi cried, slapping fist to palm, "It's so obvious, why didn't I see it?"

"See what?" Kinma asked of his twin sister.

"The reason we were grabbed isn't just because of our individual properties and abilities," Arashi explained, "It's because we represent divergent realities where each of our separate timelines had a radical difference. It's like the difference between our separate fathers, each one of them is Saotome Ranma, but they each were born to a different set of circumstances and thus typify those differences unique to their own timeline. But you know what we stand for?"

"What?" Kiiro asked.

"The future!" Arashi answered, "We're the children who might result from the potential combinations of random genetics that exist for our parents in their future...all except Gaius, who seems to have had Conan and Sonya just prior to our winding up here..."

"I hadn't thought of it like that," Conan frowned, "Our father was the oldest version of Saotome Ranma, with the sole exception of Ambrosias's father, which makes me the oldest Saotome male heir now present."

"Get in line if you want to argue pedigree," Ambrosias answered, "But...yes...it does seem kind of odd when you put it that way."

"Odd doesn't cover it by half," Li Kung sniffed, "I'm a fledgling action star who hasn't graduated out of high school yet, and yet here I am sharing the starring role in my own special-effects driven movie with a larger-than-life cast with whom I'm supposed to be related. Hell, I can't even figure out how half of you could be my brothers and sisters. The idea that Dad could get it on with somebody besides Mom..."

"Think how some of us feel," Tetsu remarked, "Our Pop had us by four different women, but none of us ever imagined he could go with our crazy Aunt Nabiki."

"Can we get back to the subject here?" Akai asked as she turned back to Arashi,  
"Now what was that again about us being tied to our parents because we're all from different futures?"

"Possible alternate futures in which events happened differently," Arashi informed the redhead, "Out of an infinite number of variable timelines we were chosen for our diversity, and why? Because we're each an aspect of something greater...like different sides to a polyhedron, or different components to a larger machine..."

"I follow you, Sis," Kinma said, "Like a formula that needs different mathematical sequences to reach a structured conclusion, or different notes in the composition of a symphony..."

"You mean he picked us because we're all fractions of a larger equation?" Vidori reasoned.

"That would seem to make a kind of sense," Stormrider nodded, "I had a sense that we were somehow connected by more than blood and a common parent."

Murai looked at Li Kung and said, "You're a movie star?"

"Teen idol," Li Kung seemed somewhat uncomfortable as he admitted this fact,  
"The martial arts equivalent to some Hollywood heartthrobs, or so my publicist claims, not to mention my mother, who's also my agent. Kinda followed in Dad's footsteps there, know what I mean?"

"So pop decided to cash in and go for the limelight?" Ambrosias shrugged, "Cool,  
I could live with that. So, what were you just saying about our being the future part of some gigantic equation?"

"It's quite simple, really," Arashi replied, "In our time, Kinma and me, were facing this enormous calamity involving the collapse of the Timewall brought about by Dad's experiments in Quantum Parallax Theory. My brother and I thought, by going back in time, we could avert the crisis by inputting a different series of equations into the programmed commands of the satellite right before it got launched into orbit. This might have bollixed up the workings and caused the experiment to fail, but that would give Dad more time to refine his equations and clear up his error, especially with Mom helping out since she joined his team right after their first meeting. Unfortunately...things didn't quite work out the way we'd expected..."

"Yeah," Kinma winced, "Got the timing all mixed up and we arrived about fifteen minutes before Dad had time to remotely reprogram his Quantum Flux Indicator."

"Which seems to have caused a major continuity glitch," Arashi continued, "Which in turn triggered a Time Quake that sent us out of phase with our own quantum matrix."

"Meaning we got thrown out of time and wound up dragging our Dad and the rest of his team with him," Kinma further explained, "And somehow we wound up on that alternate timeline where Dad's not a rocket scientist, just an ordinary guy with normal guy problems."

"Crom," Conan scratched his head and glanced at his own twin sister, "That make any sense to you, Sonya?"

"Why are you asking me?" she countered, "You're the doctor."

"A doctor of medicine, not this blasted wizardry they call physics," Conan grumbled with a highly irritated expression on his broadly handsome face,  
"Anyone else following this technobable gibberish?"

"I am," Kiiro said as she thoughtfully stroked her chin, the yellow-hued half-ogress eyeing Arashi before saying, "If I'm reading you correctly, you think that our trip to these parallel earths was not an accident, but intentional from the beginning, that somehow this Celestine character took hold of the Quantum Wave and mass-shifted us all from one target reality to another until seven different versions of Saotome Ranma were collected, along with several additional versions of our various mothers. But how does this relate to me? I'm a Hibiki, not a Saotome..."

"I haven't figured everything out just yet," Arashi replied, "But I'm going with the theory that you're as much a part of this as the rest of us...but a part of what? That's the real question."

Ambrosias slapped his forehead and said, "Baka! I'm such an idiot sometimes! Why didn't I think of this before? The law of Sevens!"

"Huh?" several of his various siblings chorused together.

"Basic Numerology," Ambrosias replied, "In a ten-based decimal system each number is assigned a different value based on its relationship to the geometric configurations of polydimensional reality. In layman's terms, think of each number as a progressive move from unity to complexity, with One forming the Prime Unity of the Cosmos...Godhood and Supreme Being as One, the source of all realities whose only opposite number is Zero, or the Null Space known as Non-Being, or Nothing."

"Existence and Nonexistence," Stormrider replied, "Interesting...and the correlation to the number seven?"

"It goes like this," the young mage replied, "Two is the number of Duality...light and darkness, hard and soft, form and flow, the yin and the yang of the cosmos. Three is the Trinity: Past, Present and Future, the three dimensions of Length, Width and Height, the tripod or triangle, the most basic polyhedron form in existence. Four is the Square, or the Material constant,  
Space and Time united, the four corners of the compass, the directions of Mass and Value..."

"I think I get some of this," Mithril spoke up, the half-giantess stroking her chin with a thoughtful expression, "Mind you, I'm not a wizard but I've listened to quite a number of grandmother's lectures, and if I remember right the Fifth level of existence is called the Aleph, or The Eye of Horus, or something like that..."

"The Torus," Ambrosias explained, "Four dimensions folded into a fifth, called Warp Space, which can be used to bridge the distance between one point in reality and another. Folded space creates a tunnel or a worm hole through which the normal gaps separating one reality from another can be crossed in an instant, or you could go to the future or the past, depending on how the two points of the hole get connected..."

"I follow you now," Kiiro said, "The sixth continuum, working from your model,  
would resemble something like a parabola that was mirrored on two sides, a top and a bottom half, forming a positive and negative reality...but the seventh would logically be a hyperbola with a gap separating the two halves that would be forced apart at their very center..."

"Forming a kind of event horizon in which the normal laws of physics don't apply," Tetsu remarked, "A kind of Limbo-space between competing dimensions..."

"So what does all this have to do with the power of Seven?" Sonya asked impatiently.

"Well," Ambrosias brought his hands together and concentrated, and a translucent object appeared between his hands that floated in the air like a holographic projection of a pyramid as he explained with great precision, "The shape that best represents the Seven-fold dimensions in our reality would be this, at least on a symbolic level. The four dimensions form the base of the pyramid, or Square, the triangle that rises above the square is lapped together on all four sides to create the pyramid, and this represents the three levels of dimension folding that are layered on top of our basic four-dimensional model of any given timeline. In reality, however, what they create is more like this..."

All at once the image of the pyramid diffused and broke apart, forming a collection of different parabolas that branched out from the center in eight different directions.

"The Eighth Continuum," Ambrosias explained, "What you might call the Multiverse, only carried to a power far beyond that which I could explain in a few short levels. The Seventh Continuum is like a gateway leading to the Eighth, and so on until you reach the maximum allowable number of elevations at the power of twenty-two, which I can't even begin to explain to myself since I'm still basically just a novice..."

"How are you doing that?" Li Kung asked, intrigued at the apparently wireless manipulation of light and color.

"Advanced Ki manipulation," Stormrider replied, "I've had the theory explained to me as the means by which Wizards channel energy to create the effects that some term as magic."

"But wait just a Crom-blasted minute here," Conan said, "You were talking about seven levels of reality a minute ago, and now we're onto eight?"

"The seventh is the gateway to the eighth, as I just said, Brother," Ambrosias replied, "What did you think a Pyramid is for? In ancient times the early Egyptians used them as Star Gates for traveling between worlds before the technology was lost to them..."

"I thought the pyramids were built as tombs to house dead pharaohs or their mummies or something like that," Li Kung scratched his head in confusion.

Ambrosias looked surprised by this and said, "What? Were did you ever hear that? Everyone knows that mummies were buried in the Valley of the Kings while Pyramids were built as sacred temples..."

"Look, we're getting way off the subject here," Vidori urged, "The point is...this sevenfold thing of yours is supposed to account for why seven different versions of Dad were kidnapped by that Celestine guy?"

"Well...yes and no," Ambrosias shrugged as he allowed his image projection to collapse and he lowered his hands, "Seven different aspects of pop might be used to create a pyramid, at least in theory, but you'd still need an eighth aspect to fully activate it as a gateway. Of course if he is planning on doing something like that, then he'd need an awful lot of power, not to mention some other components to help channel and direct the energy patterns the right way,  
and since living tissue's far more advanced than the circuitry of a manmade computer..."

"I get it," Tetsu said, "We're the circuits, transistors and microprocessor chips in the equation."

"It would make sense if you think about the connection that we share with our parents," Arashi noted, "Our past is tied into their present, so this naturally creates a conduit that links us to our different versions of our father, and with our mothers on hand to provide additional branching control lines..."

"Y'know," Murai said, "I didn't understand more than ten words of that, and now I'm starting to wish I didn't even understand that much..."

"I hear you," Akai winced, "We're gonna get used like hardware in somebody's super computer!"

"But what will be the result for us personally?" Mithril wondered.

"That all depends on what his real intentions are," Ambrosias replied, "But...if this guy is really intending to change the fundamental structure of reality as we know it...then it could be very bad...maybe even complete and total cancellation."

"You mean like a bad sit-com?" Li Kung asked.

"He means annihilation for us," Stormrider explained, "For if our past is changed or drastically altered, or even our present form for that matter...what will be the effect on our respective futures?"

Stunned silence followed that inquiry, and then Sonya raised her voice and wailed, "No way! I don't want to be annihilated!"

"The question is if any of us have a say in this matter," Mithril noted, "By your accounts, since this is being channeled through our fathers in their past incarnations, then we will not yet have existed and remain nothing more than a promise that has yet to be realized. The answer, therefore, would lie in your past, in versions of ourselves who are closer to their model."

"But how in Crom's name are we going to...?" Conan started to ask when the light within the room intensified abruptly, making it impossible for them to see one another as the burly doctor said, "What now?"

"I think we're about to find out..." Ambrosias answered right before vision was obscured altogether and reality itself seemingly inverted...

Continuity #100245968 Shire Countryside, Oxford/England

Garimel approached the dwelling place with a sense of tension in the air,  
prompting her to shift her visual senses to a range beyond that of ordinary humans, allowing her to see the swirling patterns of energy that coalesced and gathered here on the crossroads domicile that her trail was leading her towards. Powerful enchantments and wards were in place around the periphery, strong elemental forces linking together to provide a supernatural barrier against unwanted intrusion, though softened to permit a normal mundane through unhindered. Clearly the occupant of this dwelling valued his privacy and wanted to maintain a low profile by not drawing too much unwanted attention.

Her Starstone alerted her that the wards had clearly been keyed to impede a supernatural being from gaining access, but she walked right through those fields and shredded them with ease, heedless of their hindrance as she would permit no obstacles to delay her in her quest. Forces that might have even given a god serious pause were casually ignored as her starstone Shalestar met and shattered each sorcerous spell that tried to impede her progress, and before long she had crossed safely through to the very doorstep of the place, at which point she drew her bone-white sword and aimed the tip for the fragile oak that barred her path, intending to shatter it into so much kindling.

But before she could bring her power into play a voice just off to her side said, "I'd rather you didn't do that, Lady Shalestar. English oak is expensive,  
and it's done nothing to offend you."

Garimel turned to see the wizened form stooped down on all fours working a herbal garden with a trowel, apron and heavy canvass gloves making him seem like any gardener save for the sense of real power that she sensed all about him. She recognized the wizard from happier days when paying him a visit with her husband and daughter, but now she coldly stared all but through him and said,  
"Where is my husband, Ylan?"

"He was here a while ago, and now he's not," the aged wizard replied as he dusted himself off and sat back on his haunches, "He was asking a lot of questions about a fellow named Celestine, and if you want to find him, I suggest you look in that direction.

Garimel turned to the old man and said, "How do I find this...Celestine?"

"Don't really know," the wizard shrugged, "He was kept imprisoned on the Moon by the Gods for attempting rebellion, but apparently one version of him has gotten loose and is stirring up some sort of trouble throughout the Multiverse. Your husband seemed intent on stopping him, so if you want to follow his trail he's about forty minutes ahead of you in the timestream."

"I thank you," Garimel replied as she turned away, "You've been most helpful."

"Anytime, Lady Shalestar," the Wizard (who had known many names in his long,  
long lifespan) replied before sobering abruptly as the Lady of Shark House vanished in a swirl of dimensional inversion. To himself he murmured,  
"Atlanteans these days...still...she did seem rather upset about something. What did you do to upset her this time, Chakar old boy? I would have thought I'd taught you better never to make a woman angry...especially one of her bloodline."

He thought a moment about what he had just said then chuckled, "And they say we wizards are subtle and quick to anger...oh well," he sighed and went back to his gardening, doing battle with a particularly pesky strain of crab-grass, which he had affectionately named "Sauron Weed" in a characteristic show of humor over a long-ago defeated adversary who never seemed to take the hint and just admit to defeat like far too many lesser villains that he could name without much effort...

Continuum #52413783 Gate of Ashkalon

Even before he manifested in the space next to me I had a feeling that Saotome would be putting in his usual dramatic entrance. Like with me he was trapped in a kind of diamond stasis-pod like contraption that held us both firmly like a fly in amber, preventing us from moving or talking or even thinking in the usual way. Of course I'd had time enough to adjust to my own prison, so I used what I had learned about this place to open up a mental line of communication with my fellow "inmate," and thus found Ranma floating in a void of his own making while absorbing and reflecting on the conversations taking place in the next two or three chambers over.

Knowing a little something about the way my fellow prisoner tended to view himself and his reality, I mentally constructed an image that I hoped would set him fairly much at ease. I then walked up to him and spoke very precisely,  
"Hey, Saotome...snap out of it, guy. You want the bad guy to win?"

That woke him up sure enough, hinting that somebody besides him would win a fight. One thing you can always count on with just about every version of Saotome Ranma that I've ever encountered is that he hate losing a battle almost as much as he hates owning up to his real feelings about whichever given fianc e he happens to be stuck with on any given timeline. His eyes snap open and then he sees me, and with a grunt he immediately tenses up as though getting ready to deck me.

"You!" he growls at me while I hold my ground and don't react to his tone of challenge.

"Yeah, me," I reply, "What are you gonna do about it?"

I almost regret saying that as he's in my face the next second seizing me by my cowl and snarling, "What are you doing here and what have you done with Nabiki?"

I cock an eyebrow at that then shrug myself free, breaking his grip as easily as I might a child's, which surprises him to no end as there aren't that many people around who could do that.

"I'm not the bad guy here, and I haven't done anything with your girlfriend,  
Saotome..." I begin to say when he surprises me with a correction.

"Wife," he said very decisively, "Nabiki and I are married."

"Oh?" I cock an eyebrow over this, "And...when did this happen?"

"About a year ago...my time," he tells me in that no-nonsense matter that all but challenges me to make something about it.

I don't rise to the bait. I know that there's some cosmic rule that says that any time two ultra-powerful dudes like us get together we have to break out into a fight to club each other and prove which one of us is the stronger he-man, but I've already gone toe-to-toe once with this human wrecking machine, and besides,  
I'm tired of that sort of nonsense. Besides, I've got a job to do, so I look him in those blue eyes of his and say, "Congratulations. I hope you're both happy or, failing that, you get a nice settlement with her in divorce court."

"Ain't never gonna happen," he tells me flatly, "We're closer than I ever was with Akane, and I ain't letting nobody get their hands on Nabiki while I'm still around to do something about it..."

"So...where is she at the moment?" I ask casual-like and see him scowl at me before his shoulders slump a little and he glances away with a guilty expression.

"That Celestine guy caught us napping...don't know what he did, but I couldn't fight back, and neither could Nabby," Ranma then turns to me and growls, "But I'm gonna take her back, you hear me? Ain't nobody, either man or god, who's gonna keep us apart, not after all the hell we've been through together!"

"I believe you," I say softly, "But if Celestine's got her...then we're all in a whole briar patch full of trouble."

"Huh?" he frowns again, this time without comprehending my meaning, so I take pity on the big lug and explain things in terms I'm sure he'll understand completely.

"She the key to Celestine's plans," I inform him, "With her in his clutches he can reshape reality pretty much the way he wants to, only the consequences ain't gonna be the pretty little paradise that he imagines."

"Why her?" he asks me, and I size him up to make sure he's really paying me his full attention, and then I nod very slowly and say:

"What do you know about Lore Masters...and dimensional Nexuses for that matter?"

That sets him back on his heels as he stares at me in obvious conclusion, but then someone else cuts in on our little solo act and says, "That's what I would like to know for myself since she is also my daughter, if only in a spiritual and not literal sense of the word."

I turn and almost groan when I see who it is whose standing there right beside us, "Aw, no...don't tell me...you dragged Peorth into this?"

"Hey, it ain't like it was my idea or nothing!" Ranma immediately protests.

"Well, thank you for the vote of confidence," the brown haired goddess pouts while folding her arms under her ample set of eye-catching melons, drawing my attention that way almost against my will since I never could resist sizing up a woman's cleavage, even if she is a full fledged goddess. "Now what is this business about Lore Masters and my Nabiki?"

I sigh, "You ought to know the answer to that even better than me, Goddess. In a way you're as much a part of this as anyone else at whom you can point the floating finger. After all, wasn't it you who spent a few years incarnating inside of the body of one Tendo Kimiko?"

The doll lifts an eyebrow at this and looks at me as though to wonder at how much I know about that little incident that took place on a few zillion timelines, "You're saying it's my fault because of that wish I granted and its...unfortunate side-effect? But I was only inside Tendo Kimiko for no more than six or seven mortal years..."

"Time enough to bond with the Tendo family," I reply, "You prolonged her life by joining with her and apportioning out a mere fraction of your immortality, but during your time on Earth you grew to love your adopted family, and you always wished that they were your own flesh and blood and not just yours because Kimiko-san was one of your Aspects. On every timeline where this happened the effect upon the Tendo family was a little different, but have you ever wondered why the Ultimate Force computer ever allowed for your temporary merger?"

"Frequently," Peorth replies, "But I usually chalk it up to a system error..."

"Nope," I shake my head, "It was meant to happen, just like Saotome here was meant to be engaged to one of your adopted daughters."

"Say what?" Ranma frowned again, "You saying that all this was destined to happen, or something like that?"

"More or less," I shrugged, "I did my own research, and don't bother asking what my sources were, Lady, other than the fact that I had to call in a few old favors. Even before your merger the Tendo family was marked by fate for something special owing to their-how shall I put this? Rather unique bloodline that traces back to several very important genetic strains of humanity going well back into the past of Japan and beyond it. Same with Saotome here...he's the product of a merger of several rather peculiar strains of special bloodlines, both terrestrial and extraterrestrial, all of which combined to make him an aspect of a greater power, which is why the fates chose him to be a Nexus."

"Fascinating," Peorth seemed to think about it a Moment before saying, "In other words, my son-in-law here is far more than he seems, and not just because of that contract he made with Lord Shiva over a decade or so back in his past. But...then again, you're telling me that the same holds true for Nabiki and her sisters?"

"On Soun Tendo's branch of the family line you get bloodlines going back a long,  
long way into pre-history," I answer, "Kimiko's too, in a matrilineal sense, and the fruit of their union all but guaranteed that their children would be special. Same with Saotome here, and a few other bloodlines like that of Kuonji and a certain tribal group from central China..."

"Wait...wait!" Ranma waved a hand and his expression all but pleaded that I slow things down a little, "You mean...it's not just the Tendo sisters but Ucchan and Shampoo who are special and unique because of their ancestry?"

"You're getting the picture," I reply, "Every one of those girls who used to chase after you has something in their genetic stock that makes them different from the common herd, including the Kuno and Hibiki lines. In each of you kids there's a long line of heroes, mages, villains, sorcerers, tyrants, poets and scholars...men and women of distinction, a few of whom are even remembered in this day and age. Though most of your ancestors lived quiet lives of desperation, there are certain individuals in your family tree who stand out as special cases, far more than the average family tree can boast. On your side,  
for example, there's both Juraian and Senshi blood, and a few of your immediate ancestors distinguished themselves in one way or another, enough so that you are now the current product of these genetics, and in you the Fates have poured a frightening load of accumulated weapons stock that makes you potentially as tough as an Eluini, or an Avatar of the fates. That's why you became the Nexus for your generation, Saotome...you're internally wired to be hot stuff, and anything you put your mind to you excel at, whether it's martial arts, science or even poetry..."

"No way!" he says with a brooding shake of his head, "I suck at poetry...that's more Ryoga's calling, or Kuno's..."

"You're not the same man on every universe, you know," I carefully explain, "You don't even always have the same set of parents, but in every reality where a Saotome Ranma exists there is one just like you who came into being at the will of the fates," I make sure he gets this point before I continue, "So like it or not, Bub, you're the guy who gets stuck with the pivotal role of deciding which way the force lines of destiny are to run in your world. You're a Nexus, the Kami help you, and you might as well accept it."

"But...it ain't fair," Ranma protested, "I never asked to be this Nexus thing. Hell, I don't even see why I'm so special. I'm just a guy who likes to break things for a hobby..."

"You're more than that," I assure him, "You're both protector and guardian for the dimensional continuums that you and your brother Saotomes all hail from. And that's why you got stuck with those multiple engagements...not just because your father was an idiot, but because he was blindly fulfilling the will of fate in forging those links between you and the women you're supposed to protect. I say protect, because their very uniqueness makes each and every one of them a ready target for those dark forces that like to prey upon humanity, and who can sense what is special about them..."

"You mean...the Demons of the Outer Dark?" Peorth asks me, "Those non-enfranchised moochers who do not belong to any part of the system?"

"Among others," I answer, "Think about it a minute, Saotome...you ever wonder just why it is so many other guys were hot to claim your Akane, and why she tended to get kidnapped as often as she did?"

"Well...yeah," he admits, "Never could see why everybody who dropped in would home in like a bee for the Tomboy, not when there was other chicks around who were even cuter..."

"It might just as well have been one of her sisters," I note, "Hell, it could even have been that Kodachi character, but the minute that she became your iinazuke the fates zeroed in on her and made her their designated Leyline for the future Nexus that you were destined to fathering off of her...or whichever girl had the best shot of becoming Mrs. Saotome..."

"Tendo," he tells me gruffly, "Mr. Tendo talked me into briefly taking on his family name, before I came to my senses."

"Whatever," I reply, "The thing is...when your first wife bought it, the lines of reality shifted to the next most likely candidate, who also became your fianc e and partner, even your boss after a weird fashion..."

"Yeah?" Ranma asked warily, "What about Nabiki?"

"It's funny really," I sigh, "Lore Master and scholar, and a Time Agent all in one. Of all her sister incarnations she comes the closest to realizing the hidden potential that's within her. All Tendo sisters have hidden gifts, you see, but the ability to become a Lore Master is special and unique. It's not just discovering that you have the ability to access the Akashic records and intuitively tap into manna channels like a cross between a cleric and a wizard...it's much, much more than that. It's like being born with the ability to remember the destiny of man, which most human beings have long since forgotten, and become like the Eluini, the unforgotten ones, a real throwback to what humanity was like before the first of the Chaos Wars. She literally walks within the shadow of the greatness that lays sleeping in all men..."

"Wait a minute here," Peorth speaks up, "I've heard the legends of the Ancient Ones, or the Star Tribes as they sometimes are called in forbidden archives. They gave birth to both humanity and the Nephlim..."

"Did a whole lot more than that," I said, "A couple million Earth years ago the Star Tribes came to Earth and discovered the early ape ancestors of humanity,  
and because they saw our potential they decided to take a hand in our evolution. They created the Cro-Magnons over millennia of not-so-subtle manipulation of our genetics, then at one point they incarnated in the bodies of their own creations and became the Ancients. Being highly evolved creatures of tremendous psychic potential they saw the Multiverse as their personal dominion, and it's said that nothing was beyond their grasp as they were truly god-like in the scope of their abilities. But then the decline hit them, and the first Chaos War that began when their ambitions ran far ahead of their wisdom, and the sundering of the races where humanity split up into various tribes and sub-species scattered over a thousand worlds in a thousand-thousand different dimensions..."

"Fascinating," Saotome snorts, "I heard something like that out of Ganglot once,  
but what's that got to do with Nabiki?"

"The Chaos war was a terrible conflict that spread over hundreds of years and spanned over worlds that even the gods no longer remember, Son-in-law," Peorth replied, "They literally gave birth to the races of Gods and Demons that exist today, and terrible monstrosities the likes of which would populate even your nightmares. Some Ancients played with the laws of nature the way a sculptor plays with clay to fashion all sorts of hybrid creatures like Griffins, Chimera and the half-human races of Satyrs and Centaurs. They were literally destroyed by their own hubris, and the energies they released in the final battle scarred humanity on the psychic level, causing those born into later generations to diminish and fear the pull of divinity within them."

"In all human beings there exists the latent spark of the Ancient blood," I explain rather grimly, "But most humans have an instinctive aversion to tapping into this spark because the memory of what happened long ago is still within us. It's like a child who burns his fingers once and learns not to touch an open flame, or like you with your cat-phobia..."

"Right," he waves a hand dismissively, "But what about Nabiki?"

"I'm getting to that part, all right?" I sigh. He never was the patient sort,  
and he does tend to be a little single-minded about his girlfriends, "Though most mundanes are afraid of magic, there's also a deep hunger for the feel of it that smolders brightly within us. Power is the ability to achieve whatever your heart most desires, and in some of us we manage to overcome our phobias and work towards regaining some aspect of the power that we once wielded as our birthright. Martial Artists learn to tap into that power, to draw upon deep wells of spiritual energy to fuel our skills and enlarge our dimensions. Some people turn to spirituality to achieve the same ends, especially when it makes them feel connected to something that's greater than their mortal horizons. Others use wisdom and contemplation to connect them to the inner core of memory that's carried in our very genes. So...what happens when you combine all three aspects in the same person?"

To my surprise I see comprehension forming in Saotome's eyes. Obviously he's not as dull witted as I'd first imagined. "Wait a second...you mean Nabiki,  
when she studied to be a Lore Master...got into all three aspects?"

"The Nabiki you knew as a kid was clever and materialistic, right?" I ask, "But she lost her whole family, uprooting her sense of identity and place in the world, and she only had you for an anchor, and you weren't available, being off on your own quest. She had to find her way through the help of the Lore Master named Lotion, who awakened in her a hunger and thirst for knowledge and understanding, which in time led to her tapping into her latent potential,  
honing and refining it until she became much more than the sneaky grifter that you remembered. She wanted...no, she needed to be closer to you, and since she wasn't a part of your world she had to train herself hard in order to become your equal. You drew her out of the shell that she once inhabited and helped the caterpillar become a butterfly. She became your destiny by following her own path and realizing what was within her bloodline in order to be with you. In effect she remade herself into a different pattern, one who could stand toe-to-toe with you and look upon you as an equal."

"You mean...for me?" I see the big guy stagger under the realization.

"She may not be as powerful as you, or have a god of destruction walking around haunting her shadow," I continue, "But when I met your wife a year or two ago I was shocked at how much she had evolved from the Nabiki I'd encountered on an entirely different timeline. I could feel the energies flowing throughout her body, the way her spirit seemed to coil and gather like a serpent ready to strike at a moment's notice, and yet she was entirely coherent, even at peace with herself in a way that I found quite extraordinary. If she's continued to progress even beyond that level, then I can understand completely why the powers that be chose you to be her protector."

"Her...protector?" he repeats slowly.

"That's why you were engaged to her, Man," I explain, "You're the one who has to guard her against those who would attempt to exploit what she is and use her as a weapon. You may have blown your chances with your other four contenders, but she's the very embodiment of what you've been imbued to protect...the very heart of your own reality. As you may be a Nexus, Nabiki's the key to the Leyline itself, the very pulsebeat of the universe that you both came from together. She's the Alpha to your Omega, the other half of your being, and you'll never be complete without her. The chords of your destiny are that deep and that binding. It would be the same if any of the other girls followed the trail of their own potential, but since she's the one you married, and I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that you've already had children..."

"Children?" Peorth brightens, "You mean...I'm a grandmother? Already?"

"Uh, yeah...we were gonna get around to mentioning that," Ranma said in somewhat distracted tones, looking at me with new wonder in his eyes as he says,  
"Then...what's gonna happen to her if this Celestine creep has his way?"

I give him my most sympathetic look and say, "Understand something. Your wife has a highly attuned neural-circulatory system...the product of her training as a Lore Master. She's literally like a walking super-processor chip of the kind that even Yggdrasil's systems might incorporate. So...plug her into a big enough multi-tasking central database circuitboard and you've got the means of controlling vast amounts of raw temporal and spatial energies. She's the control unit for channeling the system, and if, as I suspect, the other versions of you and your kids were gathered together in order to form a living relay database unit, then all Celestine would have to do would be to plug you in and then fire up the system."

"How monstrous!" Peorth cried, "To use people in such a callous manner...who knows what the strain of this will do to the poor victims trapped up in such a system? They might burn out or get fried by the lateral dimensional feedback..."

"In which case I'd imagine he'd have a few spares on hand for easy switching before it gets to a crisis," I say with grim finality, "And assuming he's already got a software package that he plans to dump into the Yggdrasil system..."

"Ain't gonna happen," I can almost hear the bones in Saotome's hands grind together as he forms them into fists, "I'll die before I'd let him do that to Nabiki!"

"Somehow I think he's prepared for just such a contingency, friend," I say with total sympathy for his position, "Unfortunately he's already snatched us up and plugged us into his new system. We're not really standing around talking like this, you see, we're all stuck in various crystal coffins waiting for him to flip the light switch and make everything happen. The only reason it seems as if we're not immobile is because we're astral projecting..."

"And I imagine that he wants us as badly as he does Ranma," Peorth noted, "You for your link to your starstone, and me..." realization caused her eyes to widen, "Because I'm tied to Yggdrasil! That bastard! He's going to use my own access codes to hack into the main system!"

"Then we gotta do something and fast!" Saotome declares hotly, looking at the both of us, "How the hell do we break loose from this thing, Shadowmane?"

I open my mouth in order to explain, but as I do so everything suddenly goes white all of a sudden and reality inverts as we're shocked back into our own bodies...

Continuum #37421960

Ranko looked around in mild bewilderment as she studied the assembled kids of this generation, seeing her own counterparts, the Saotome offspring named Lina,  
Naghi, Honeysuckle and Xellos sitting beside such odd characters as Anhket and Genji, and she wondered if Meiko was right in thinking that this lot could be the sort of allies that they needed to deal with this Celestine creep. To put it mildly, they were not as bad a list of prospective candidates as these things went, at least when compared to the other kids who drifted in from the sidelines who had odd names like Buaku, Leona and Greenpeace.

Of course she expected these kids to be different from the various parallel counterparts that Ranko often encountered when traveling the Multiverse. What she was not prepared for was discovering a version of her father who was in female form and thus looked a **lot** like an older version of Ranko, albeit a Ranko who wore the robes of a mage and who was an acknowledged Sorceress trained in the mystical arts by a witch named Angelique and an Amazon named Siren.

The room they were in was another novelty in her experience...a sort of main meeting chamber at the base of a large tower that existed mysteriously upon the Tendo-Saotome grounds, only packed away as though in a pocket parallel dimension. This Tower of Sorcery, as Onna-Ranma put it, was the training ground for a new generation of up and coming martial-arts mages who combined the genetics of both Saotome and Tendo bloodlines with the odd alignment of Kuonji and Amazon strains. Apparently here her father had married three of his fianc es, meaning not only her mother resided here but her aunts Shampoo and Ukyo as well, and with an average of two kids between them it made for a very crowded and interesting place to be, especially around lunchtimes and family meetings such as the one that had been convened upon their arrival.

"That's quite a story you've got there, Kid," Onna-Ranma remarked as she studied both Ranko and Meiko, "A renegade god threatening everything and everybody? And he's kidnapped your younger self to use as both a hostage and a weapon?"

"I know it sounds kind of far-fetched..." Ranko caught herself before she could call the woman before her "Pop," which for her was pure reflex.

"Heh, like I'm a stranger to weird and bizarre things happening?" Ranma-chan sniffed, glancing towards the kitchen where her three co-wives could be heard busying themselves about preparing a feast for the new arrivals, "Okay, suppose I take it on faith that you and Meiko-chan here really are my daughters on some parallel timeline, what then do you expect me to do about it?"

"Not you, Dad," Meiko replied, nodding to the others, "It's one or more of your kids, our brothers and sisters, who are best suited to dealing with this emergency. That's the way it works, I'm afraid...we don't choose the rules..."

"The rules choose us, right," the female Ranma sniffed, glancing around before saying, "Okay, so who do you with you for your Posse?"

That brought a broad smile from several of the faces sitting down at the rounded table, both the Saotome kids and their rivals from outside who had come in to join them after sniffing the hint of and adventure in the offing.

"Well, isn't that obvious enough for you?" the redheaded Lina boasted, hooking a thumb to her own chest, "You need someone with brains and talent who can handle herself in a pinch."

"Are you serious, Lina?" her dark-haired sister, Naghi, leered slyly, "Little girls ought to stay at home and mind their dollies. It's obvious that they need someone as beautiful and powerful as I to stand at their side with a keen eye towards dangers..."

"Or someone with as inflated an ego," grumbled Honeysuckle, the purple haired girl at the table whose lineage was the easiest to place, "And before you start another one of your spats, keep in mind that we have guests with us, and you don't want them thinking that their sisters from a different continuum are a bunch of brainless barbarians, now do you?"

"Honey-chan's right," remarked the curious looking boy (?) named Kenzen Genji from his end of the table, "Besides, the decision may not be up to us after all since it would seem that the pendant makes its own selection, according to what Sister Ranko has just stated."

"Fascinating," remarked the willowy girl named Anhket (who-if Ranko were to believe the accounts-was the daughter of her Aunts Kasumi and Kodachi by a spell that had brought the two of them much closer together), "A pendant that operates as the mobile eye terminal for the great World Computer known as Yggdrasil. I should very much like to study the spells that were employed in its creation..."

"Yeah, you do that," snorted one of a pair of oddly feline-like girls sitting on the opposite side of the round table, a redhead whose ears were atop her head and tended to move with the changes in her mood swings, and whose voice was a throaty sound, almost musical but for that ominous thrumming that hinted at a tigress purring softly while spying dinner, "Wouldn't mind having one of those myself, could come in handy..."

Beside her a nearly identical looking cat-girl (well, except for the color of her fur, which was a tawny gold coloration) heaved a sigh and said, "Really,  
dear Sister, whatever would you do with the ability to go where you wanted at will? One almost shudders to imagine..."

"Look, Greenpeace," the first cat-girl growled, "What I'd do with it is my own business, and maybe Scholar-girl there things it'd be fascinating for study, I'd want to put a thing like that to practical use..."

"Knock it off, Leona," their brother, a burly cat-like man with the curious name of Buaku growled softly while adjusting his sunshades, "We're trying to conduct business here, not figure out new ways for you to screw around and get us all in trouble with our parents."

"Friend Buaku raises a valid point," said the dark haired young man named Saotome Xellos, "As fascinating a trinket as this pendant might seem, it carries with it an awesome power that could be misused in the wrong hands, especially if turned towards mischief."

"Hah, like a Bioroid even knows the definition of mischief," Lina grinned as she glanced across the table at the cat-girl named Leona, "What would you do with it, visit famous battle sites and collect all sorts of useful hardware?"

"Bioroids?" Ranko arched an eyebrow as the by-now familiar term.

"Their parents were artificially created beings," the gentle-mannered Anhket replied, "Genetic warriors grown by a technology that is not of this current time and age, though for the most part they are quite human...just different. Stronger, faster, more agile..."

"But definitely not smarter," Lina glared at Leona, "Don't think you're gonna pull any tricks on us this time to have your way, Fur-face!"

"Like I give a damn what you think about it?" Leona rose up in her seat and glared at her fellow redhead as though the two of them were bitter rivals.

"Well, you should!" Lina shot back, rising to her feet with her eyes flashing in dangerous menace.

"Take your best shot, Witch!" Leona's hand went to her side, "Let's see who's quicker on the draw this time, you and your spells or me and..."

Lina pointed a finger and a blast of energy caught Leona before the cat-girl had time to react, knocking her to the ground and startling Ranko, who was no stranger to bizarre and unusual attacks, though she had barely felt the Ki force rising before the Sorceress let loose with her discharge.

"You were saying?" Lina asked of the twitching and semi-comatose form of Leona,  
"Thought you were gonna blast me with that stun ray of yours like last time,  
huh?"

Buaku was on his feet, as were Naghi and Xellos, the latter trying to wave for calm while Honeysuckle just rolled her eyes and glanced apologetically at Greenpeace. Onna-Ranma herself spoke up and said, "Now just cool it down, you hotheads, or I'll send you both upstairs without your supper! The last thing I want to have to do is explain to Mousse and the Twins that you two have been playing nasty again, and do you want a repeat of what happened to you guys the last time?"

Lina subsided at once but growled, "Well, she started it, Dad...don't blame me about it."

"Blame was shared on both sides," Greenpeace said softly, "Sit down, Brother,  
and let the effect wear off sister Leona so that we can get back to discussing this business at a reasonable tone and level."

"You sure it's going to be that easy?" Honeysuckle wondered.

"Now everybody just be calm," Xellos replied, "I'm sure we'll be able to work things out smoothly enough if we all keep our tempers and try not to let little things upset us."

"Oh yeah?" Lina growled, "That wasn't how it sounded from my end," Buaku replied as his hands moved towards his sleeves glanced at the dark haired boy and wondered, "And you do you know that, Xel?"

The dark haired boy just smiled and tapped his nose before saying, "It's a secret," as though sharing a private joke that completely went over the head of Ranko.

"Now then, Cousin," Genji spoke up once again, "No sense adding mystery to a situation that's already complicated enough as it is..."

"Cousin?" Ranko glanced at Meiko.

"Genji is the...um...son, I think, of aunt Nabiki and her husband, Kenzen Konatsu..."

Ranko's eyes grew appreciatively wider, "Nabiki and...Konatsu?"

The beautiful bishonen boy (?) just smiled and said, "I'm told that I favor my father, but I'm...somewhat ambidextrous, and I'm known to be flexible in other ways," he gave his soft, seductive voice a haunting lilt, and Ranko immediately understood what he (?) meant as she felt a strange compulsion to want to get closer to this mysterious kinsman, even though some aspects of his (?) behavior was making her question whether it was a boy or a girl who was giving her such a turn-on.

Naghi chuckled as she caught Ranko's reaction and said, "Genji comes readily equipped for anything, and I'm told that she has never yet had a dissatisfied partner..."

Ranko looked at the dark haired girl and said, "She?"

"Actually, you can take your pick either way with Cousin Gen," Honeysuckle sniffed, "When they say 'well-equipped' they mean that hi can play in either direction, which hi uses often to hir advantage."

"Damned freaky if you ask me," Buaku grumbled, clearly uncomfortable with this subject.

"Okay," Ranko took a deep breath and said, "Excuse me for arriving late at the party, but for the sake of clarity, would you mind telling me who's related to who here? Just so I can remember to get your names right?"

"I don't blame you for that," Onna-Ranma replied, then pointed at her offspring,  
"Lina is Ucchan's kid while Naghi is Akane's, and Honeysuckle...well, you can tell just by looking at her whose mother she belongs to..."

"Thanks, Dad," Honeysuckle smiled faintly.

"And then there's Xellos, my second youngest," Ranma-chan continued as he acknowledged the boy, "I've got another boy named Goury who's around here someplace...probably hanging out with his girlfriends, Sylphia and Phylthia..."

"Whoah...wait a minute," Ranko said, "Five kids by three women? You married my Mom, aunt Akane and Aunt Shampoo at the same time, Pop?"

"Uh...yeah...well..." the elder redhead (whose resemblance to her was uncanny)  
scratched her nose and looked uncomfortable over that, "I sometimes wonder myself how I got talked into it, but we've...had this arrangement since we were about your age, and it seems pretty much natural enough to me these days. Oh yeah...make that six kids. Little Angelique is around here somewhere, no doubt getting into mischief, the little scamp...and yeah, she is my youngest, and probably the biggest handful of the lot."

"Six of us," Meiko smiled, "Way to go for the record, Dad."

"Unless one of our Mom's isn't telling us something..." Honeysuckle mused in an off-handed manner.

Onna-Ranma shuddered, "Don't scare me like that! As if we didn't go through enough problems with the last pair..."

In spite of herself Ranko had to smile at this. She had always liked the idea of belonging to a large extended family full of many brothers and sisters, which is why she mused aloud, "Interesting family situation you got here, Pop. Almost makes me wish I could stay a while and get to know you people a little better."

"You will," Meiko said slyly, "I come and visit as often as I like, and I'm bet friends with Lynne Reiko. Boy, is she ever gonna be sorry she missed out on joining us this time."

"Aw, who needs a Valkyrie to hunt up adventures?" Lina asked, preening, "I'm more than enough to handle anything that comes up in a pinch."

"Unless you mean to imply in terms of style and looks," Naghi added slyly, "In which case you might come up a little...short, Lina-chan?"

The redheaded sorceress bridled over that while Honeysuckle just looked blandly at Ranko and asked, "Are you sure you really want to get to know these two better? Try being related to them by blood, then sit back and watch all the carnage."

"So...how does this selection process work anyway?" Buaku asked in a deliberate effort at changing the subject, "Does that go for the strongest or the smartest apples in our bunch..."

"Well, that lets you out," Lina noted.

"There is more to a quest than merely being the strongest or the wisest, you know," Greenpeace pointed out, "There may be other qualities that are judged as worthy of inclusion..."

"Yeah, good point," Ranko noted, "My experience wearing this pendant over the last year of my life has taught me to expect the unexpected, and while it does obey my will...at least some of the time...it's connected to a great super-computer that has a mind of its own and its own peculiar agenda..."

"Sounds like we should have included Maya for this powwow," Naghi mused before preening, "Not that we need look farther than myself if you wish to include the most beautiful and talented among us..."

Ranko just had to raise an eyebrow as she looked at her nearest counterpart here, whose dark, rich head of hair, tall and slender build was distinguished by a pair of generous breasts that were making her feel more than a bit envious,  
which did seem odd considering that her mother was Tendo Akane. Aloud what she said was, "Maya?"

"Daughter of our Aunts Urd and Mara," Honeysuckle explained, "The thing is, with her weird parentage and connections to the divine powers..."

"Did I hear someone invoking my name?" asked a beautiful blonde with a long mane of frosty gold hair as she stepped out from behind a Chinese silk tapestry hanging on one wall of the chamber.

"Speak of the devil and she will appear..." Buaku grumbled ominously as he glanced towards the girl with the unusual facial markings.

"Now that isn't a very nice thing to say," the blonde sniffed as she sauntered over to join those gathered about the table, acknowledging Onna-Ranma with a respectful, "Uncle."

"Not yet," Onna-Ranma replied with a slight grimace, "But I'm working on it."

Ranko studied the features of the beautiful girl in the slinky, clingy dress that did more to highlight her extremely feminine figure than it did to conceal it and was aware of a certain familiar...stirring about her spine, loins and breasts. It was rather like the effect she had when she was around Silver Saotome, her white-haired counterpart in that dimension where Shampoo had the Nanniichuan curse, a cocky, brazen little sex pistol just waiting to go off, and always hot to trot where Ranko was concerned. She made a mental note to have this particular continuum red-flagged so that she might pay it another visit in the very near future.

"Now, what's all this about?" the blonde asked in a sultry purr, her dusky skin adding a hint of warm and exotic sensualism as she all but sizzled with lust-inspiring energy, "And who's the cute redhead who looks so much like you,  
Uncle?"

"She says her name is Ranko," Onna-Ranma replied, giving Ranko a more-than-slightly bemused smile as he added, "And like Meiko-chan, she comes from an alternate timeline, one where I married Akane and just Akane, and then somehow wound up with Nabiki."

"You and Mom?" Genji sat upright, "When did this happen?"

"Ah...well," Meiko replied, "It was before they adopted me, but...the way I hear it, my Dad from the alternate timeline Ranko-chan and I hail from...isn't around anymore, and neither is my birth mother. The guy I now call Dad adopted me as his own after marrying the Nabiki from his home universe, so...well, I guess you could say it was a tragic story because of what happened to our Mom, but it had a happy ending in the end, and my new Mom's everything I could want her to be. Maybe a bit tight-fisted with my allowance, but I know she cares for me and I love her like she was my real mother."

"And you say we have an interesting family situation?" Xellos marveled.

"Well..." Ranko shrugged.

"To return to my original question," Maya verbally nudged to get them back on the subject, "Why are you here away from your own home timeline. I take it that you are not simply cruising or paying us a social visit?"

"Not hardly," Meiko replied, "We got a problem with this guy from the world of the Gods who's threatening to destroy all of reality as we know it, and not just on our timeline but every timeline that's in existence. We need help if we're to put a stop to this..."

"Uh oh," Ranko glanced down as she felt a familiar pulsing sensation resonate upon her chest, and-sure enough-her pendant was softly glowing in that all-too-familiar manner that signified that a transition was about to be effected, "Don't look now, guys, but..."

"Hey," Onna-Ranma swerved her eyes and seemed to look right through her, "You're shifting..."

"We know that, Dad," Meiko explained, becoming transparent as she added,  
"Happens all the time with us, but it looks like the pendant has made its selection..."

"Eh?" Maya glanced down at herself and said, "What a curious sensation..."

"HEY!" Honeysuckle exclaimed as she looked right through her own hand and said,  
"Me? But...what did I do?"

"Hey, where are you going?" Lina immediately protested.

"You were supposed to take us with you!" Naghi seconded for her sister.

"It ain't fair!" Buaku complained, "I demand a recount!"

"Ohhh...what happened?" Leona groaned, then looked at herself and went, "HEY!"

"It appears that sister Leona has been selected over us, dear Brother,"  
Greenpeace remarked as she watched her younger sister vanish as if by magic,  
along with Honeysuckle, Maya and the two otherworldly sisters, leaving the rest of them to stand around wondering just what had happened.

"Where did they go?" Genji asked.

"Somewhere that their services will be put to good use, I suspect," said Anhket.

"It's a secret," Xellos smiled enigmatically.

"That's it!" Lina growled, "I've had it up to here with that line, little brother! FIREBALL!"

Onna-Ranma started to protest as mayhem once more broke out in his main tower hall, but then she lowered her hands in resignation as spell and counterspell started flying all around him, reflecting that it had been rather quiet for the morning, which meant that hijinx such as this were long overdue and that the best thing that any sex-changing sorceress father could do was to let the kids work it out of their system while doing her best to minimize the damage, which meant keeping property rates from plummeting throughout the whole of greater Nerima...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Circuit Breakers of the Gods: shadowmane

Will Ranko and her Posse be in time to head off Celestine's fiendish plans, or will the heroes trapped up near the gate of Ashkelon become victims of his power-mad schemes? Can the various Ranmas and Shadowmane pull off a coup, or is this the end of the Multiverse as we know it? If you're still here to read the answer of that next time, dear readers, then it's, "Lights out for Nirvana," or "How to Deconstruct a Universe In Ten Easy Lessons!" Be there!

X -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: ~ All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	14. Chapter 14

RanWarp14

Realities Warped!

By Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi and other artists too numerous to mention.  
The Characters Chakar Shadowmane and Garimel Shalestar, however, were created by me, while Trella (RA Curtis) provided some of the characters and ideas that appear within this chapter, based on her series "Aiyaa, My Goddess!"  
and inspired by the "Paradise Lost" series by Andy Kent, not to mention a few other creators to whom I might assign the blame and/or credit.  
Use by anyone else is strictly verboten and might get you flamed by some of my pre-readers -and they can play really nasty!-  
You have been duly warned!)

Chapter Fourteen.

Gods and Monsters

Continuum #52211475

"Now, what's this all about again?" Colonel Saotome Misato demanded of the five peculiar looking teenagers who had been found by Security on the perimeter of NERV central.

"Um...well," Ranko nervously replied to the purple haired commander, "You see, Sir-Ma'am...it's like...we're on a quest and we didn't mean to wind up violating your security and all that. It's just...well...when we dropped out from our parallel dimension into your world..."

"Cross Paratime travel," noted the blonde Doctor Ritsuko Akagi as she adjusted her glasses with the tip of one finger, "We've done some dabbling in it ourselves, of course, but nothing beyond the experimental phases...and you say you have the technique perfected?"

"Well, not absolutely perfected, Ma'am," Meiko replied as she smiled sheepishly at her sister, "It's just that we tend to go wherever we're called by the central processing unit of the division my sisters and I work for, and we're here to recruit volunteers for a very important top-secret mission..."

"Volunteer?" Honeysuckle glanced at Leona and Maya, "I don't remember volunteering myself, do you guys?"

"Top secret for whom?" Misato demanded in her best no-nonsense manner, "I'm sorry, I can't accept that explanation, not when you trespass on a top-secret government installation and then tell me that you're here to recruit one or more of my cadet pilots? I need to know names, and who do you take orders from, young lady?"

"Um...you wouldn't believe me if I told you," Ranko said sheepishly.

"Try us," Dr. Akagi replied, "You'd be amazed at what we tend to take for granted."

"That all depends," Meiko said as she glanced at the two NERV officers and said, "You guys fight Angels for a living, right?"

"We used to," Misato replied, "But our function has progresses a long way from that. We're now dealing with a host of alien menaces, some of whom make the Angels look like social workers, and how are we to know that you're not working with them if you won't tell us who employs you?"

"Um...well...I'm only a Cadet myself," Ranko replied, "But my official designation is a Time Agent for the TPC, Time Patrol Central. I go to other worlds and fight bad guys who threaten the stability of reality as we know it, but I also do field work for...um...well...the Gods, if you can believe that."

"The Gods," Akagi repeated slowly, "What Pantheon?"

"The Yggdrasil branch of the Goddess Relief Agencies," Meiko answered, "They're not affiliated with the Nephlim Angels that you once fought..."

"Thank somebody for that," Misato sniffed, "Could be worse, you could have been some of Metiron's people. She tends to be a real pest at times, though she swears her intentions are benevolent..."

"Not that you can judge that by the sort of fanatics she has working on her payroll," Akagi added.

"Oh yeah," Meiko laughed nervously, "I've had some encounters with them. Real fun types...if you're into mayhem and slaughter."

"I don't believe this," Honeysuckle stared at the two NERV brass, "You actually mean you can accept this at face value?"

"Kid, you wouldn't believe what I take for granted," Misato replied, "For example, I'm part alien on my grandfather's side, and if I'm to take you at your word, at least three of you are the nearest equivalent to being my grandchildren."

Ranko looked at the purple haired woman and blinked, reckoning her age as indeterminate as she had those sort of looks that lasted well into her later years, and tried to contrast her with the grandmother she knew, Saotome Nodoka, then concluded, "You mean...our Pop is your son?"

"Well, most of the time he is," Misato shrugged, "Watching you turn into a boy and back pretty much cinched it for me, but I wanted to get the full story on your before I knew if you could be trusted."

"Um..." Leona raised a hand, "If it's not treading too much on security, Ma'am, mind telling me just what sort of top-secret paramilitary base this is, and what you're fighting with, and against who?"

"All in good time, Cadet," Misato touched her collar and said, "Send them in, Major Hibiki. Let's get this show on the road."

"Huh?" Honeysuckle blinked, "Major...Hibiki?"

To the surprise of the five time-displaced youths a man walked in wearing military dress whose appearance was instantly recognizable from his non-  
regulation headband, not to mention his rugged good looks, which prompted Meiko to say, "Uncle Ryoga?"

The man in the uniform looked at Meiko with surprise, then exchanged looks with Misato and Doctor Akagi before seeing them motion for patience, though it was obvious that he was greatly confused about some issue or the other.

"Oh wow," murmured Leona in fascination, "He looks just like Gilgamesh's dad, don't he?"

Then in walked four teenagers of various ages ranging from fourteen to seventeen, in the lead of which was a cocky-looking brunet who wore her hair in a ponytail and who eyed their party up like she was looking to start trouble. Behind her was an almost ethereal beauty whose long white hair and fine features made her seem almost like a porcelain doll, and she moved almost silently with preternatural grace and an aura of otherworldly intelligence behind her reddish-  
brown eyes as she studied each member of Ranko's group with curious indifference.

Next came a cocksure looking boy whose swagger and broad shoulders made him look alter than the rest of his curious group, a smirk that seemed perpetually upon his lips as he eyed the new faces made it almost seem as though he were rating them on some mental scale or other and found one or two of them much to his approval. After him came another girl whose movements betrayed the fact that she was a highly trained martial artist, and yet the most curious thing about her was that she exactly resembled Meiko, only her hair was done up into a long pig-tail and she was eyeing their group with unusual caution.

"Cadets," Misato acknowledged the oddly assorted teens, who were each dressed in some sort of form-fitting outfits that did not match the regulation dress worn by the local equivalent to Ryoga, "You've been summoned to his meeting because of some rather extraordinary circumstances, the likes of which we cannot immediately disclose, but suffice to say that I'd like to introduce you to our young guests, Ranko, Meiko, Honeysuckle, Leona and...Maya."

Ranko noted the slight hesitation at the end of that introductory statement and glanced towards the oddly tattooed girl in their midst, wondering what it was about that stunning beauty that was making her feel both uneasy and aroused at one and the same breath.

Colonel Saotome, however, was now on to making introductions of the other teenagers so she focused in as Misato resumed, "And here, representing NERV, are our young pilot cadets, Lieutenants Hibiki Reiko, Hibiki Yui, Taro Seigfried and my granddaughter, Saotome..."

"Hey," the girl at the end of the line pointed at Meiko and said, "Why does she look like me, grandmom? Uh-sir?"

Misato made a slight noise and sighed, "...Meiko-chan, what have I told you about rank and title when in official briefings?"

"Oops, sorry," the other girl winced contritely.

"Wow," Meiko glanced back at her near-identical counterpart, "You have the same name as me?"

"The same mother too, I'd warrant," Honeysuckle murmured faintly.

"Begging the Colonel's pardon," the tall boy named Seigfried spoke up, "But what's this all about, Ma'am? Are these the new pilot recruits we've been told to expect?"

"Not exactly," Ritsuko replied, "In fact, that's what this briefing is about, so if you wouldn't mind sitting down, Lieutenant Taro, along with you others..."

"Sure thing, Doc," said the cocky brunette named Reiko as she slipped into her chair, joined by the ethereal girl beside her as all four cadets composed themselves and sat alertly. Reiko winked at Ranko and smiled affably as she added, "Welcome to NERV, hope you survive it."

"They are not here to join us in our fight against the Jovians, Sister," the oddly pale girl beside her said, "They come to us with far different intentions."

"Yeah?" Leona asked, "What makes you say that, Blondie?"

"I just know," the frost haired Yui replied, glancing towards Maya, "Besides, her markings betray her origins. Clearly this is no ordinary matter as the Gods do not trifle lightly in the affairs of mortals."

"Uh...right," Ranko said, feeling even more unnerved by the mysterious girl's odd manner, "Maya's...kind of unusual, even for us..."

"If you mean by that that my mother was a demon and my fama was half demon herself, which makes me three-quarters demon and one part Goddess, then I suppose unusual would about describe me," Maya noted with an odd lilt of amusement as she glanced back at Ranko and winked, then gave Yui her full attention, "But you, I take it, are part angel?"

"On my mother's side," Yui replied, "My sister, however, is quite human...well, mostly..."

"Thanks a lot," Reiko snorted, "So, if you guys aren't here to join us, what are you here for?"

"Well," Ranko began again, "It's kind of hard to explain. You see...we're actually from another dimension...a different time continuum where things are a little bit different..."

"No fooling?" Seigfried's smile became even more insinuating, and for some reason Ranko felt an urge to slap his face on general principles but restrained the impulse. Instead the boy glanced at the girl beside him and said, "Hey, Saotome, looks like you get to meet your evil twin this time around, how about that?"

"Lovely," the other Meiko sniffed as she looked directly at the Meiko wearing the Valkyrie armor, "Is that some kind of Renn-fair outfit you got on there or something?"

"Ah, no, actually this is real Mithril chain mail," Meiko indicated her armor, "Along with the plates, all forged on the anvil of the Dwarven Smiths of Asgard and all that..."

"No fooling?" Reiko asked, "And you're a Valkyrie?"

"In training," Meiko replied, "But I'm also a Saotome..."

"Might have figured that," Seigfried nodded then glanced at Ranko, "You look just like Uncle Ranma, though my Dad always calls him Fem-boy. Bet you got a curse just like Meiko-chan here, eh?"

"Don't call me Meiko-chan while we're in uniform," the girl beside him grumbled, glancing once again at her counterpart, "And what about you? Do you turn into a boy too?"

"No, thankfully the curse skipped me, but it definitely took root with Oneechan," Meiko indicated Ranko with a nod, "Luck of the draw, I suppose...the rules change with every alternate timeline I visit."

"Wonderful," the other Meiko rolled her eyes, "So why do I get to be so lucky?"

"Look, can we get back to the main subject here?" Honeysuckle asked, "I know this all must seen fascinating to you, but I've been dragged away from my home and family on the promise of some kind of quest that suits my sisters far better than me, so if we can get on to finding out which of you guys that enchanted pendant of yours is after..."

"Enchanted pendant?" Seigfried asked.

"Right," Ranko fingered her locket then said, "Well, to be completely truthful, I don't know how this actually works and all that, I just know that it picks the people we need to complete a mission, and when it decides you can usually tell because we start..."

"Fading out of synch with the regular universe?" Yui asked.

"Yeah, how did you know?" Ranko asked.

"Because I can feel us beginning to shift already," Yui replied, "Both me and my sister."

"What?" Reiko asked, only to start in dismay as she stared at her hand...and then right through it.

"It's beginning already," Meiko mused, "Only this time it's chosen Hibikis instead of Saotomes..."

"Huh?" the other Meiko asked, "Why you guys and not us?"

"Yeah," Seigfried frowned at the two Hibikis, "What makes you guys so special?"

"Honestly, I've got no...!" Reiko started to say when she and Yui joined Ranko's group in vanishing from the chamber.

"Yui-chan, Reiko-chan...what...?" their father broke his silence and darted forward felt the empty space where his daughters had been residing a mere moment beforehand.

"Oh great," Misato growled, "I hate when this happens. How am I supposed to file a report on this with headquarters?"

"Maybe we'd better mark Pilots Reiko and Yui as being on temporary leave until and if they get back," Dr. Akagi replied.

"What do you mean...if?" Ryoga demanded, "Where did they go all of a sudden?"

"That's what the rest of us would like to know, Ryoga-kun," Misato assured him, "But I'd bet a weeks pay that it'll be more trouble than the usual sort we have to deal with...and considering who they took, I'm just glad I won't be the one who has to fill in the paperwork for that..."

"But Grandma...!" Meiko protested.

"Why do those two always get to have all the fun?" Seigfried growled, "A pity, though...that one purple haired chick almost reminded me of Bonbons...OW! What did you do that for?" he snapped at Meiko.

"General principles, Baka," his girlfriend snorted back, intending to fully keep a close eye on her fellow pilot as one could not be too careful with the sort of competition you found these days, especially with crazy Amazon chicks and those funny rules they took so seriously about marrying the one who defeated them in battle, a point to which she was herself quite vulnerable even if she hated to admit that she found the buxom girl's attention to be more than a bit flattering. Not that she ever intended to swing that way sexually, of course, no matter what Reiko said about "sampling" the other side of the coin, that half-Angel hentai...

Continuum #52413783 Gate of Ashkalon

"Well, what do we have here?" Happosai mused as he peered from his place of concealment, seeing the lone man standing atop a smooth mesa formed by carefully sculpted stones that formed a gigantic mosaic.

The old man had nearly missed his last transition point when he was chasing and being chased by those cuties on the movie set, but once he had sensed that Nabiki was preparing to shift to another continuum, he hastily abandoned the game and went after her, barely catching up in time to grasp the trailing ends of the outfit worn by the goddess Peorth.

As such his entrance to this new plane had been somewhat rougher than was usual, and almost he had failed to hold on at the end there as he was caught up in the backtides of the phase shift, which momentarily trapped him near to the event horizon at the eye of the Torus. With an effort of will he had managed to break through to the other side, drawn by the allure that Peorth gave off of feminine divinity, but when he manifested in "Real Space" it was several minutes behind the others, which was why he found only the strange dark-haired man standing there by himself looking all dramatic and important with no sight of Ranma or Nabiki anywhere to be found, or even that cutie-pie Peorth herself, which the lecherous old man found highly annoying.

Being prudent enough to not leap in with questions, he took concealment and waited as the stranger was not focusing his attention towards Happosai. Instead he seemed to be concentrating his energies into some manner of spell or something. Happosai could read by the man's aura that he was incredibly powerful and not to be lightly trifled with, rather a lot like Peorth in certain ways save for the fact that he was no where near as curvy. Bishonen was the word they used to describe guys like this these days, but Happosai always felt disgusted at encountering a man who looked pretty enough to be a girl. He hated to be fooled like that, it was just not natural, and besides, he wanted a real girl he could fondle, not one who was lacking in the right sort of...assets.

But now he sensed that the stranger was ready to make his move, and as the oddly garbed Bishonen man raised a staff that he called into existence, it was clear that a very powerful bit of celestial magic was about to exercised, which piqued Happosai's interests. He was always keen to learn whatever lore he could find since magic could be useful if practiced in the right sort of way, especially if it could be used to make Happosai a more powerful fighter, or-failing that-  
more attractive to the ladies.

"HEAR ME, O' CELESTIAL POWERS!" the man intoned solemnly, "I CALL UPON YOU NOW TO WORK MY BIDDING-COME FORTH!"

With that the stranger rapped his staff once against the ground and instantly a pattern flared to lift upon the stones themselves, flaring outward to form a series of circles, squares and glyphs of awesome majesty and power. Happosai could literally feel the energies rising up to levels unknown to him even in the days of his carefree youth, and then he saw a truly amazing sight as lines formed in the air above the cardinal pattern, four lines to be precise, each rising up from an angle diametric to the four points of the compass, and arching up to touch above the very center of the pattern, forming a pyramid of light that remained there shimmering brightly.

Happosai had to blink twice before his eyes could adjust to the blinding intensity of this light pyramid, but as he did so he began to make out tiny forms hovering within the pyramid at different points like a swarm of flies caught in amber. It took a few moments before he started to recognize faces and body types, but then his ancient eyes got very big indeed, for it was none other than Ranma whom he saw as dominating the pyramid at precisely angled positions diametric to one another.

Seven Ranma's? No, wait! There was an eighth one positioned near the very heart of the pyramid itself, and that was far from all that the old man discovered as he stared alertly at the other floating dogs within the pyramid's seemingly solid interior. There were also a fair number of women of many types of voluptuous, some of them quite beautiful and none of them failing the attraction test as Happosai eyed them, grinning the more broadly the more faces he believed that he could make out from within, and some of them as interesting to look upon as Ranko.

"Well, well," he mused softly, "Quite a collection you have here, my good fellow. But what are you planning to do with them all? That's the thing, and I'll warrant it's nothing that I'd approve of..."

The man conducting the ritual made a complex gesture with his hand that caused several glyphs to light up on the ground and appear in the air around the pyramid in a complex network of intersecting lines and forces, and the geometric pattern this formed was quite a sight for the casual observer, but Happosai was a little more concerned about the lines that curled upwards into the sky to form a kind of virtual stairway, three of them in all, and these congealed to form the very solid appearance of a tree moving towards the heavens. Happosai's interest turned to alarm as some vague memory was stirred within him, and all at once he recognized the tree and what it signified. He also comprehended the fact that the man was performing a spell involving many different aspects of Ranma and the others...but as he traced the lines of force to their centralmost hub he discovered the rather amazing fact that there was a single figure occupying the hub at the base of the pyramid, a form spread-eagled and held in place with all the force lines intersecting with her body, a rather familiar form whose face was burned into Happosai's memories as he stared wide-eyed and spoke her name.

"Nabiki? What are you doing up there, my girl?" the old man murmured to himself before following one of the lines positioned directly above the adult form of the middle Tendo girl, and there, sure enough, held suspended as though on a crucifix, was another form whose resemblance to Nabiki was uncanny, and yet whom Happosai knew by another name as he said, "That Peorth girl...what's this? Is that devil using both cuties for some kind of sacrifice spell? Well, I'm putting a stop to this! Nobody messes with my family but me, and that includes stuck up gods with delusions of Omniscience!"

"HEAR ME YOU POWERS ABOVE AND BELOW AND ALL POINTS WITHIN THE COSMOS!" the strange being was declaring, "THE TIME OF THE OLD ORDER IS ENDED...NOW BEGINS A NEW AGE WHERE THE MISTAKES OF THE PAST SHALL BE ERASED FOREVER!"

As Happosai prepared to break from cover, a new impetus was given to his intentions as the spell that the renegade god was casting caused a projected image to form around the pyramid, that of a beautiful naked woman, a fusion of Nabiki and Peorth with aspects of other women combined into a beautiful matrix, unclad and on full display in all her naked glory, the very epitome of womanhood, which fired his lusts and caused him to rush forward in a rash desire to claim this embodiment of everything that he found attractive in a woman.

"SWEETO!" he cried in utter delight, startling Celestine as the renegade god had not expected such an outburst.

"No, you fool! Don't do-!" Celestine started to cry, too late in getting a spell off to prevent the fleet-footed old man from carrying out his intentions, but even one who spent most of his life among the divine spheres could hardly stand between the world's most perverted Martial Artist and the "Celestial Spheres" that were on such prominent display as Happosai literally threw himself at the image of heavenly beauty without thought of the consequences, of which Celestine could have told him plenty.

As it was Happosai leaped and glomped onto the most massive set of perfect breasts that he had ever before witnesses and encountered the energy field that maintained the illusion, his solid mass colliding with the energized particles and tensor-fields that were on display, literally grasping for the brass ring that had eluded him for most of his very long life. This caused his own quantum signature and genetic matrix to fragment, his pattern intruding itself upon the spell, which in turn bent the energy lines and converged them on the old man, transfiguring him and merging him with the goddess-like abstraction., He flared up like a candle and transformed into a multi-dimensional version of himself as the intense concentration that held him rooted to his previous reality gave way to a mental and physical expansion far beyond the limits of mortality.

In other words the pattern merged with him and exploded.

"NOOOO!" Celestine cried, seeing his construction begin to invert and collapse in on itself as the spells woven into the matrix assumed a form that was other than what he had originally intended...

And-far below his feet-another figure stirred, one awakened by the burst of energy as Chakar Shadowmane opened his eyes and absorbed in one second the significance of all that had just happened...

It's a bit of a jolt when you're stuck in a trance and unable to wake up while all around you are signs that the universe you knew all of your life is coming apart and being remade in a new image. It's almost like being trapped in a dream that you can't wake up from, this sense of immobility in which more than just my body is paralyzed but my very mind is trapped and held in a field of stasis. I could watch and observe everything that was going on in the space above my head but I could do nothing to alter the spell that Celestine was casting, my own Starstone being used as a focal point to ground the various energies that would otherwise be uncontrollable, kind of like being a fulcrum with forces equally applied on two ends while I'm trapped at the very center.

Well, that's the short version of what it felt like, but the point of it is, I didn't like it.

But the minute Master Happosai appeared on the scene I actually felt a thrill of hope, which must strike anyone who knows the old geek as funny since he usually rubs people the wrong way. Me, I consider him an old drinking buddy, and while I'll admit some of his habits don't appeal to me in the slightest, compared to the sort of jerks I normally have to deal with in a business sense I actually find him rather charming and harmless.

Of course if he ever tried to do to Garimel what he does to most of the women he encounters...I'd probably send my condolences to his next of kin, and throw in a bottle of sake to help them with their celebration. Hey, I'm generous like that, especially around people who make the gross mistake of thinking my wife is an easy mark. I really don't have to be the jealous and overprotective sort with a wife like her, nosiree, since even my worst enemy, Darcon, would think twice before attempting to lay a finger on my Gari.

Anyhow, I can feel the old man attempting to glomp his perfect ideal girl and getting zapped like a bug for his troubles, but his noble sacrifice creates just the wedge I need to break free of my stasis. I make a point to want to toast a glass or two to the old lech even as I warp on out of there, grasping at a silver strand of energy that I know and recognize so well and using it like a guide line while I mentally reach out and snag the people nearest to me and drag them along for the ride so we zip out of out of there like a campaign cork shot out from a bottle.

Once loose into the stream of the Multiverse I use the Greystar to reorient myself and regain my bearings, then I draw my companions as close to me as I can while reaching out with a hand in search of a familiar pattern. He senses what I am doing and copies my gesture, reaching out to clasp arms with me and draw me along into his boat, and then we manifest on the deck beside him, my reluctant companions and I, who are just then doing their level best to regain their fragmented senses.

I look my savior over, as tall, thin and ageless as I remember with his long white hair and golden-bronze skin, handsome with an aquiline fairness that no single race or nationality can define, his eyes alight with merriment as he takes us in with a glance and smiles before clapping me on the back and saying, "Chakar, you old rascal. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Farhan," I clasp him back on the shoulders, "Boy, are you ever a sight for sore eyes! You can't imagine what sort of a day I've been having lately..."

"Oh, I imagine that I can," my fellow Starlord smiled in that enigmatic way of his that implies he knows something without telling you just how much he knows, "The winds have been a bit restless of late, and that usually means that there's a storm brewing on the horizon. A Timestorm to make that minor squall you had to put out a few years ago look like a tempest in a teapot. Now then, who are your new friends? I don't believe I've had the pleasure of these two lovely ladies before...but the big fellow, him I do remember..."

I turn and glance at my immediate companions and almost groan when I discover who the forth member is of our little merry band of escapees. I'd been trying for someone else whom I'd felt was key to this whole matter but the one I'd blindly grabbed up in my haste was not whom I had imagined her to be. In fact, I would have wanted to come to her rescue anyway, but instead of Nabiki Tendo-  
erh...ne Saotome, instead I found myself face to face with the goddess...

"Belldandy?" Peorth started, "What are you doing here?"

"Oh my," said the goddess in question as she stared at the ship that we were standing upon, then looked questioningly at both myself and its owner.

"Hey...what the...?" Ranma turned around and stared at Farhan, "Hey...I know you!"

"And well you should, young lad," Farhan replied, "Been a while for the both of us, but I can still remember when you were a wee tadpole and that fat whale of a father of yours...thought the both of you would drown swimming back to Japan from China, yes indeed, and what with that Amazon on a determined blood hunt..."

"Um...would someone please mind telling me what is going on?" Peorth asked, "What is Belldandy doing here, and...who is this gentleman?"

"Farhan Silverstar," I said, "Meet Peorth, Goddess of Roses, and her associate, Belldandy, the Goddess of the Present. And that big guy, whom you obviously already know, is Saotome Ranma..."

"Wait a minute!" Ranma waved a hand, "Silverstar? He's a Starlord? One of you guys?"

"Ah...actually," I glance at Farhan, who smiles back at me enigmatically and gives me a faint nod, so I decide to venture forth on the true identity of my associate, "He's not just any Starlord...he is THE Starlord, the one who started it all over fifty-three thousand years ago..."

"Please," Farhan waved a hand, "Don't mention my age. Frankly, I don't think I look a day over fifteen hundred myself..."

"Wait just one second here," Peorth exclaimed, "Farhan Silverstar? I read a case file about you once! You were the central controller of the Starstone project back in ancient Atlantis, right before the collapse of their original empire..."

"Yes, yes, it's true," Farhan waved the point away, "No need to advertise about it, it's ancient pre-history, and besides, most Starlords consider me an ancient legend, and I'd much prefer to keep it that way, thank you very much. Now you, on the other hand...Goddess First Class, right?"

"Exactly," Peorth replied, when all at once she was turned around by a pair of slender hands who gently clasped her arms and compelled her to look into the eyes of her fellow goddess.

"Peorth," Belldandy smiled fondly, "It's been so many ages...I had almost forgotten that you were still with the Goddess relief agency. How wonderful..."

"Huh?" Peorth replied, "Belldandy...what? MMPH!?"

All at once she was drawn into the arms of the gentle Goddess of the Present as Belldandy held Peorth tightly and planted a wet kiss on her mouth, shocking even me, and I'm used to seeing stuff like that at family gatherings. It's plain enough that Peorth is just as surprised as I could tell that Bell was using tongue in her kiss and wasn't holding back anything on account of having an audience. Rather shocking when you consider her reputation for modesty and discretion, but I suppose her recent ordeal could be credited with loosening her up a bit in the morals department.

"Whoah," Ranma says, which pretty much summarizes my own rather obvious reaction.

"Well now," Farhan remarks in that understated manner of his, "There's a sight to gladden the heart and renew your faith in humanity."

Belldandy gently broke her kiss then all but glowed as she looked into Peorth's eyes and said, "I have missed you..."

"Hah?" Peorth responds, looking as dumbstruck as any mortal might be in her position.

"Oh," it seemed as if Belldandy just then remembers that she had an audience and said, "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to be so forward. It's just that...it's been such a long while, and...oh my...what a wonderful ship this is...how marvelous..."

"Yes, isn't it?" Farhan beamed proudly as he glanced off to his side and acknowledged the stars that lay beyond its railing.

As a matter of fact, so did Ranma, who was staring around in obvious disbelief as there were not only stars above the ship but below it as well, and everywhere in every direction that that the eye could see, the ship itself being the lone constant in a backdrop of constellations, comets, asteroids and star-stuff. The white sails flapping above our heads and off to the sides are the only sound that you can hear as the ship moves eerily along with a ghostly crew tending to the rigging and various points that need maintenance when sailing. I glance at them myself and smile, recognizing old friends among the crew and giving them the nod in passing as they glide about tending to their business.

"What in...?" Ranma finds himself unable to complete his own sentence, for which I suppose I can't really blame him. Even in his line of work it's not too often you travel on a Pan-Dimensional Stellar Sailor drawn along by the winds of quantum field energy past novas and quasars and lots of other stuff that the best radiotelescopes imaginable never have the range to detect.

"My ship, the Silverwand," Farhan replied, "Made it myself from one of the Silver Trees of Aenor, and my crew, stalwart and true, drawn from a race known as the S'lvie, which are kind of like a cross between Angels and Banshees..."

"Incredible," Peorth breathes in wonder, then winces slightly as Belldandy puts her arm around her waist and leans her head against the Rose Goddess's shoulder to sigh.

"It's so beautiful and romantic...and that song they make...what beautiful singing..."

"You think so?" Farhan mused, "I find that one rather sad myself, like a lover's lament, but then again, many of their songs tend to be like that on long voyages where they miss loved ones left behind at various ports. Kind of like the Irish when you come down to it, only they're not much for heavy drinking..."

"Farhan," I say, "I'm sorry if we gotta cut this short, but there's a bit of an emergency going down, and we need to get back to where we just left so we can save the day and all that."

"Oh, quite all right," Farhan smiled, "You don't come by to visit me often enough, Chakar. And how's that wife of yours? She still as much of a hell raiser as I remember?"

"Retired," I firmly assure him, "She left that life behind a long time ago, and good riddance."

Farhan shakes his head sadly, "You never fully leave it behind, Chakar. You're old enough to know that. What Morrigar did to her daughter stays with Garimel every second of her existence, and just because it doesn't rise to the surface too often is no reason to forget that she's the White Shark of the Starlords."

"Like I could ever forget?" I sniff, "Remember, she bites when she gets excited."

"Uh...excuse me," Ranma asks, "But...who are we talking about here?"

"Lady Garimel Shalestar," Farhan replies, "Chakar's wife, if you must know the kind of fool for love he is, taking on a girl like that at his age..."

"Wife?" Ranma looks at me with raised eyebrow before turning around and glancing wildly to the side as if just then remembering something.

"You're married?" Peorth softly groans, "What a pity..."

"Oh, I don't think so," Belldandy purrs, snuggling closer and nuzzling the earlobe of her fellow goddess.

"Okay," Peorth declares as she attempts to wiggle her way out of the arms of her fellow divinity, "Now this is getting a little too..."

"NABIKI!" Ranma cries with sudden urgency, "Where is Nabiki?"

"Ah..." I wince slightly, rather wishing he hadn't brought that up at this particular moment.

I'm rewarded for my trouble by the burly Time-cop turning around and grabbing me again by my cloak, and while I'm a few inches taller than him it's pretty obvious that he's in no mood to mess around as he snarls in my face, "WHERE IS SHE?"

"Back with Celestine," I reply, "I tried to get her and bring her with us but..."

I see it coming with plenty of time to dodge, but for once I decide to take it on the chin rather than put up a struggle as Ranma gives me a taste of the kind of punishment that he usually dishes out with the bad guys. I use it to break his grip and only step back a little as I absorb the blow, grateful that my conditioning makes me as tough as him since the force of his Chi alone could shatter a good sized mountain.

"Now there," Farhan said disapprovingly, "No violence on my ship..."

"You keep out of this!" Ranma snaps while snarling at me with eyes blazing like twin infernos, "Where is she? I've got to find her now, and you'd better take me to see her or else..."

"I said," Farhan does not raise his voice nor gesture nor make any of the usual dramatic gestures that you'd associate with a being of power suddenly making his true self manifest before your eyes, but suddenly even Saotome is paying attention with eyes that go round in a second while his body tenses up and becomes as rigid as a statue, "...No violence on my ship. I'm sorry, but even Lord Shiva should have better manners."

"Oh my," Belldandy exclaims, looking at the suddenly immobile Saotome, "What did you do to him?"

"Oh, he'll be all right in few moments," Farhan smiles as if nothing were the matter, "I just have certain rules that I strictly adhere to. I am a businessman by trade, an adventurer and a wanderer, but I can't abide seeing young lads hurting each other, it disrupts the harmonics of my ship and upsets my crew like nothing else you can imagine."

"I'm sure he's sorry about his outburst," I explain, "But we kind of left his wife in a very bad lurch, which is why he wants to go back there and rescue her, not to mention a bunch of other people who are being held hostage."

"Ah yes...nasty business that," Farhan remarked, "Remaking reality in his own image. I tried that once myself, but never on quite so ambitious a scale as this..."

"How much do you know about this?" Peorth asks.

"I have my ways of knowing," Farhan gives that enigmatic smile of his and says, "A good sailor learns to listen to the winds when they tell you a good story, and I've become a very good listener over the centuries. Marlin House survives because we stay out of politics and don't concern ourselves with the petty squabbles and travails that obsess most regular people. We also don't turn our backs from those who are in need of our assistance, so I can forgive the lad for being a bit hasty. The young are always rash and impulsive, but that's mainly because they haven't seen enough of life yet to know that things happen the way they do because it's the way they're meant to happen."

"I'm not sure I really follow you, Sir," Belldandy admits, "Are you talking about predestination?"

"Predestination?" he smiles like an indulgent father, "No such thing as that, young Goddess. We make our own fates...we and everyone else in the greater scheme of things. We're all a part of the whole, don't you know? We make choices every moment that we're alive, and if we tend to stumble around a bit in the dark, well...that's hardly surprising. Children are meant to stumble and learn, it's a part of growing, and the great cycle of birth and rebirth that affects both mortals and even goddesses. It may not be a perfect universe, but that's the way it's meant to be, don't you know? Because the universe itself is stumbling along trying to discover itself, and that's why it brings intelligent life into existence. We're the reflection of the greater intelligence of the cosmos..."

"Right," I say to head off a lengthier lecture, "We all make choices because in a Multiverse this complex every possible direction we could take or imagine has already existed, and we just choose the direction as we move towards the future. But this isn't the time to get into all of that, Farhan...we do have a bit of an emergency, so..."

"Chakar," Farhan gives me that indulgent look again, "I thought you already knew that time is infinite, and you can always travel back to recover what you've lost, something most non-Starlords only wish they could accomplish. There's no need for you to be rushing into anything when you hardly even know what you're going to do when you get there."

"Maybe so," I reply, "But that reality-inverting Timestorm throws everything else into a cocked hat, and until we put a stop to that there's no way of predicting when and if the Multiverse will start feeling the effect on a grand scale."

"Yes, and if Yggdrasil itself is being impacted upon while this is taking place..." Peorth started to reason.

"Is there something wrong with the central database?" Belldandy asked, "Haven't Urd and Skuld been dispatched to solve this problem?"

I noticed the shocked and worried look that crossed Peorth's eyes as the Rose goddess eyed her compatriot, and the uneasy way in which she said, "Bell...don't you remember? Urd and Skuld have been living with you on Earth for the past few years..."

"But that's impossible," Belldandy replies with a look of total sincerity that I read in her eyes and other tell-tale features, "My sisters would never abandon their duties to the Central office, and neither would I...and Earth is forbidden for anything longer than a temporary visa..."

"Ah...your case was special," Peorth now turns to me and I can tell she's seriously worried, "You fulfilled a wish, remember? One that required you to remain with your client, and after a while Urd and Skuld came to live with you, and then the Almighty declared that you three would reside there together with your husband, Morisato Keiichi."

"Husband?" I hear shock and surprise in the voice of the guiless goddess of Fate, and now I'm starting to worry, "But that's ridiculous, I've never been married. Peorth, are you accusing me of being unfaithful to you?"

"Ah...no..." Peorth blinks and I can see that one came out of left field for her, "To me?"

"Because if you're jealous that I might take up with someone else then I think I need to seriously reassure you that my feelings for you are true and as bright as ever," Belldandy continues as she clasps arms with Peorth and gives her a heartfelt expression, "I know that we have had our difficulties in the past, and over the years we have faced many trials together, but we have always come through, and you must know how I feel about you, even if we were assigned to different sectors..."

Peorth is too much in shock to close her mouth and say something, so I decide to take up the slack by saying, "Excuse me...Lady Belldandy? You and Lady Peorth...are an item?"

"Oh yes, or we were until a few years back," I see radiant joy and happiness in her expression this time, tinged with a hint of regret and sadness, "Peorth is my dearest friend and my most trusted companion. We grew up together as children, we even shared the same teacher, a wonderful man who showed us everything that we needed to know about being goddesses..."

"Celestine?" I venture and see the confirmation in her happy expression.

"Yes, my dearest Mentor," Belldandy declares, then I see the sadness replace her joy as she adds, "But he went away many years ago...reassigned to a different sector of the greater system. I never even got to say good-bye to him, and I owe him so much. How many centuries ago was that? Even I have trouble remembering, but wherever he is I'm sure that he is inspiring joy and wisdom in others, just as he did for me."

"I see," I give Peorth a knowing expression and add, "That the way you remember things, Goddess?"

Peorth shakes her head negatively, then with effort she manages to say, "I did train under Celestine...for a few years anyway, then I was assigned to a different trainer and Bell became his only star pupil. But...you don't remember anything beyond that?"

"Remember?" there is a vaguely troubled shadow that crosses the sky blue eyes of Belldandy as she thinks it over, and then the clouds pass and she says, "Oh yes...I remember now. Morisato Keiichi...I do believe that he was a client some years ago, and I granted him a wish..."

"To have a girl like you stay with him forever?" Peorth asks.

"Why no," Belldandy replies, "He wished to find true love with a woman who could value him for what he is and not look upon him for his shortcomings. The dear young man actually felt inadequate because he was a bit shorter even than me, can you imagine? Men worry about the oddest things sometimes, but he had a good heart, so I granted his wish and helped him find a girl named Madoka, and the two of them were married a short time after this..."

"Madoka?" Peorth blinks, then grumbles, "Way to go, Keiichi...right wish, wrong wording..."

"Eh?" Belldandy asks, "Whatever do you mean, Peorth-chan?"

I hear Farhan's gentle laughter as the oldest and wisest of all us Starlords gives the goddess a kind look before saying, "Sometimes the winds of destiny can blow to very interesting shores, young lady. It may seem that you are destined to follow in one path, but it is the very nature of the Multiverse that another version of you can walk a different path at the same time and arrive at an entirely different destination. Gods may view yourselves as above that sort of thing, but I assure you that you are not, and I should know since I'm older even than your own grandfathers..."

"I very much doubt that," Peorth frowns as she looks at him, "And who are you calling a young lady?"

"He is," I reply, "And I'd take him at his word on that. Farhan was the first and greatest of us all, and if he says something happened that way, then you can bet his Starstone that it's the case, even if he does act a little scatterbrained sometimes..."

"Scatterbrained?" Farhan chuckles, "I like that. Just because I know more things than the human mind was built to handle doesn't mean I'm senile, Chakar. I still have it all up here and ready to be accessed," he tapped his temple with two fingers then winked, "And you know what resources I ultimately have at my beck and call."

Yeah, I very well knew what that meant. The entire Dominion was his creation, back when he and a group of fellow scientists were working to develop the ultimate in Matrix Technology in an Atlantean research complex, a couple of centuries before the Empire was destroyed by an act of hubris and madness.

The ancient Empire of Atlantis was built upon an early form of Matrix technology with stones that could harness the fundamental forces of the universe to power everything from sky-ships to world-spanning dimensional portals. They were crude and limited in their effects, however, and while they could prolong life they were little more than lenses focusing energy like a prism, and if you overloaded a large enough crystal it would shatter like so much used up quartz, which is what happened when the last Emperor tried to use the great central relay crystal as a weapon to enforce his will. That long-dead Emperor blew the empire all to hell and back by abusing the matrix technology that made that island nation into a power to be reckoned with. It's destruction totally collapsed all technology throughout the Empire and threw civilization back into the stone age...all except for the Starlords, who survived because our Starstones Matrix work on fundamentally different principles and constitute a more advanced model

The Starstones were a step above the ordinary matrix, however, being artificially created life forms bonded to a human wielder and bestowing upon same the power to channel the energies of time and space on a greatly accelerated level.

Starstones are symbiotes, and they exist in a very elaborate and carefully balanced geometric equation. There are twelve Major Starstones, four Dominant Starstones, the Tristars and the Omnistar at the top, about one hundred and forty-four Lesser Starstones and one-thousand-seven-hundred-and-twenty-eight Minor Starstones forming an elaborate web of interlacing energies that feed and reinforce one another and give us power to rule over a wide swath of Earth-  
related worlds and dimensions. They give us longevity and maintain our bodies, healing us against injury or near-death while keeping us young and fortifying our systems. They expand and multiply our latent psychic and physical powers many, many times over and give us the near-godlike ability to fold and shape the very fabric of time and space on a limited basis.

We Starlords eventually expanded our Dominion to fill the void left behind by the old Empire, but unlike our predecessors we chose to walk invisibly down the corridors of time, unknown and undetected by the majority of worlds that we rule through proxies in the shadows, more myth than substance. Every one of us is a Lord in his own right, the ruler of a portion of the greater whole that forms our shadow-empire across the thousands of worlds and parallel versions of Earth that we call our Dominion.

Ideally speaking, for this network to function at its best every Starstone has to have a wielder to whom they are logically fitted down to the Lesser Starstone status. In actuality there are holes and gaps in the network, but all the Majors and Dominant stones are accounted for, and each wielder is the Lord or Lady who commands one of the dominant Houses of the Dominion. Each stone was specifically keyed to gene-type to a particular family tree and so the Majors and Dominant stones are passed down by hereditary lines of succession. Only someone related to me by birthright could command the Greystar, for example, and the same goes for all of the others of the Twelve and the Four who rule over the empire. Lesser and Minor Starstones are not fitted to a particular type, however, and can be used by anyone who traces their ancestry back to the original Atlantean Scientists who founded the Dominion after the destruction of old Atlantis.

Of the Tristrars...well...they each had a specific wielder, and those guys are still around...after a fashion. But over the centuries they have changed and mutated, becoming something other than human in the strange realm that they conjointly occupy, and no one knows what to make of them since they wield enormous power and can even overrule the Dominion council. The Omnistar itself is the key to the whole Dominion, but it's location is in a fixed point on a realm that is entirely of energy, and no human being can approach it since the field of containment it occupies is a thousand times more lethal than the heart of a nuclear inferno.

Only one man can access the Omnistar, the one who created it, Farhan, who has remained young and virile all of these millennia in order to oversee its routine operation and maintenance. The other Lords of the Dominion are unaware that Farhan is the selfsame scientists who headed the original program. Only I've been entrusted with that tidy little secret, that the Lord of Marlin House is more than just a reclusive eccentric who likes to ferry freight from one corner of the Dominion to the other. If they did find out...well, I know my relatives and brother Starlords all too well and have a pretty good idea what the more ambitious among them might try to do with that knowledge, especially Darcon Trevaros, the Master of the Darkstar and the Lord of the House of the Black Dragon.

Coincidentally, the man who killed my father, but that's another story entirely and one I'm not about to get into while I'm narrating the current crisis.

Aloud what I say is, "Yeah, I know. So...in other words, what you're saying is that the Peorth of one timeline is not the same Peorth of the timeline that this version of Belldandy hails from?"

"More or less correct," Farhan replies, "She's the same in the sense that a goddess as sweet and as pure of heart as she remains a constant over a broad range of multiple timelines, but there are other worlds where conditions are quite different and the Belldandy you would encounter there is...how shall I put it delicately? A very different person."

"A different person?" Belldandy seems to realize the thrust of what Farhan is getting at and looks at Peorth with an expression of dismay and contrition, "Peorth...is what they're saying true? That you don't remember me...or what we once shared together?"

"Ah...well," Peorth reluctantly replies, "Let's just say...I remember things a little bit...different."

"Oh," Belldandy lets the other woman's hand go and puts a hand to her mouth, "Oh my...oh dear...I didn't realize...I am so sorry..."

"Goddess," I say as gently as I am able, "Can you tell us a little something about the world that you do remember? Do you know anything about...the Senshi?"

"The Senshi?" Belldandy asks, blinking her eyes again before saying, "I believe that...yes. Yes, I do remember something about them. I had a friend on earth...her name was...Tsukino Usagi?"

My fears were starting to rise as my suspicions began to come together, "And...do you know what happened to her...and about a Sailor Terra?"

"Oh yes," Belldandy smiles, "I remember her quite well..."

"Sailor Terra?" Peorth looks at me funny, "Are you serious?"

"I remember a Sailor Terra," Farhan smiled, "Cute she was, and as bright as a button, little sister to Prince Endymion, who was then the ruler of the Kingdom of Elysia..."

"Little sister?" Peorth remarks, "Are you serious, old man? Prince Endymion was an only child..."

"On your timeline, maybe," Farhan replies, "But on this young lady's world Prince Endymion had a sister who was reborn in a mortal identity and only discovered that she was Sailor Terra during her early teenaged years..."

"Wait a second," I frown, "Was that girl's name Saotome Ranma?"

"On some timelines, yes," Farhan replies, "But I know of several where her name was Tendo Nabiki. Rather interesting coincidence, wouldn't you say? A Nexus and a Senshi bound to the same destiny, and him a cousin by blood to the reborn Princess Serenity? Oh yes, I do so much enjoy traveling the continuum to discover so many interesting alterations in fate's pattern..."

"Saotome Ranma?" Peorth starts, "And Nabiki? You mean...their destinies are that closely woven together?"

"Destiny is a tricky thing to define, young lady," Farhan explains, "Often we create it with our own desires projected forward into the future. When the desire of two or more persons conflict, however, you get resistance and precession...a vectoring of forces that results in a third or fourth direction being taken. If two people desire the same thing then they will likely overlap in time and share one destiny together, but if their desires conflict, then neither one will entirely achieve the thing which they desire..."

"In other words it's a crazy Multiverse and you'd better get used to it," I say, "Infinite diversity, infinite desire, infinite combinations..."

"It's about the same for you Gods, when you look at it closely," Farhan continues, "You're closer to the center of what constitutes the real Reality, which makes you more real than the world of shadows that belongs to mortals. There's about one of you for every hundred or so different mortals that you interact with, so when you manifest on one Earth plane a version of you is also encountered on the timeline beside you, and so on and so on, until you reach a point of divergence, where another you splits off and follows a different timeline. You ultimately return back to the center of what you call Heaven, which helps to reinvigorate your constitution, but unless you're paying really close attention you're likely to be unaware of the different levels that you work upon. Most Gods use their powers instinctively and intuitively, and these days you use Yggdrasil to tackle all the trivial details, such as keeping the various alternate versions of you from bumping into one another. Kind of like with our Starstones."

"You mean that there are other versions of you operating throughout the timestream, Sir?" Belldandy asks.

"Sure thing," Farhan replies, "A Starstone is like a singularity...it exists on multiple levels and realities simultaneously, but we who are bonded to our Starstones remain this finite thing that we call mortals. The Starstone revitalizes and maintains us in perfect health with powers that duplicate the abilities of the long-ago Ancients, but they also make sure we don't run into parallel duplicates of ourselves by shifting our alternate versions into near-  
parallel dimensions. After all, two versions of the same god or goddess existing side-by-side would shake up reality by quite a bit since you both tap into the same deep reservoirs of near-limitless power."

"So...the Belldandy that exists on this world..." Peorth began.

"Will remain where she is so long as she's a long ways from here," I explain, "But if she were to approach this Belldandy then one or both of them would be shuffled off into a parallel dimension, the same way our Starstones operate to keep us apart and prevent us from meeting one another."

"And...have you ever encountered another version of yourself, Sir?" Belldandy asks me.

"Once," I reply grimly, "A Shadow-me, embodying my worst aspects, and I...didn't like it."

"Sounds like one skill my son-in-law could certainly use," Peorth said as she eyed the still-motionless Ranma.

"Oh dear," Belldandy looks crestfallen, "That means that Peorth-chan, my Peorth, is back on my home dimension. Only...how is it that I have come to be here conversing with all of you...?"

"I've got a sneaking suspicion about that," I say, "But I don't think you're gonna like it, Goddess."

Belldandy looks at me and I see her expression go all quiet with consideration, then in a firm-but-level voice she says, "Please tell me, I...have to know."

"Celestine..." I begin, only to see her face brighten up immediately.

"He's back?" she clasps her hands together and looks radiant, "Oh, my dearest mentor..."

I shake my head slowly and say, "Not if what I believe happened is true. Peorth-san...tell us what happened on your timeline. What do you know about the Celestine that you last encountered?"

I see Peorth's eyes flash with anger before she says, "The bastard tried to topple the world tree and replace it with his own creation..."

"No!" Belldandy covers her mouth and looks shocked, "He couldn't have...!"

"I was there, Bell," Peorth replied, "And I was given permission to access the sealed and forbidden archives. Celestine betrayed us all...not once but twice over, the first time when he attempted to use you in a mad attempt to overthrow the heavens...and then centuries later he tried to do the same thing with you again, only you managed to stop him..."

"No...it can't be...!" Belldandy protests.

"The Council that banished him found you innocent of having any real part in his evil," Peorth relentlessly continued, "And your memories of the whole event...were sealed..."

"Sealed?" Belldandy looks shocked.

"Locked away and buried," Peorth replied, "And false memories were put in their place. It was necessary, Bell, in order to help you get over the sense of desperation and betrayal that you were feeling..."

"I don't believe you," the goddess is shaking now, both her head and body as she tries to deny this, "The Peorth I know would never tell me anything so hateful..."

"I'm telling you the truth...as a friend, Bell," Peorth said sadly, "I only wish that it wasn't true, but it was because of you that we were able to defeat Celestine and lock him away once again, after you convinced him to see the error of his ways. Keiichi had a hand in that too...he was quite the resourceful young man indeed, which is no doubt why I..." she paused, glanced at us then hastily said, "Never mind about that. I only know that the Celestine that we encountered a short while ago is the same madman as before, only more deranged and insidious than ever."

"Probably because this one hasn't seen the error of his ways," I note, "And unless we convince him otherwise, we're going to have to put him down for good. The only question is...what kind of handle does he have over you, Goddess?"

"Over me?" Belldandy replies with hands over her perfect breasts, "I don't know what you could mean...I don't know if I can believe any of this. You say that you are from other timelines with different histories? Then surely these events cannot be the same as I remember..."

"I'm afraid it only gets worse, Goddess," I inform her, "Much worse, and now the timeline that you came from has been horribly scarred, closed off and rendered null and void by order of the Gods. It's my theory that Celestine went there hoping to make use of his ties to you, and somehow his experiment went horribly wrong and yielded up a monster."

"A monster?" Belldandy shakes her head and trembles in denial, "No...he wouldn't..."

"He did, Belldandy," Peorth assures her, "On the timeline that I remember he infected you with a virus and used your access to Yggdrasil to partially download it into the mainframe before any of us at Central were even the wiser. I was system coordinator at the time and I led the campaign to try to isolate and contain the virus, but eventually it was ruled that you had to be vaccinated..."

"Vaccinated?" the goddess repeats, her eyes now as wide as some Japanese Anime character, or so it seemed like from where I was standing.

"Only that proved to be a mistake as the virus absorbed the antidote and mutated into a more powerful strain," Peorth continues, "Over ninety percent of the system was infected, so we had to shut down and reboot Yggdrasil, and in that time Celestine called down the world tree onto the earth plane then caused the virus to manifest as this terrible demonic being whose sole purpose was to destroy it..."

"Destroy Yggdrasil?" now Belldandy is completely shocked and horrified, "No..."

"But in the end you saved us all," Peorth assures her, "Because your love for a mortal, Keiichi, was stronger than the programming within you, and with the help of your sisters we were able to recreate the world oak and restore everything back into full balance. Celestine was defeated and admitted his error and finally went into a rehabilitation program. You were cleansed of all traces of the virus, even the initial bits that he implanted in you when he was still your teacher and..."

Now it's Peorth's turn to register shock as something belatedly occurs to her, leaving it up to me to turn to Farhan and say, "You almost gotta admire that Celestine creep, planning this far ahead and with a backup contingency plan almost as clever as the main one."

"Yes," Farhan agrees, "Unusual for a god to be that clever, almost reminds me of some of our relations."

"That...that son of a bitch!" Peorth at last manages to stammer out, "Using me...the way he used Belldandy? I'll kill the motherless-"

"Peorth," Belldandy gently chides, a slight frown creasing her otherwise perfect features.

"I don't care!" Peorth snaps, "This time I really want to break something where it hurts! Bad enough he uses mortals that way, but to use his fellow gods...? He got off too light the last time! This time it means war among the heavens!"

"Now you're talking my language, Mom," we hear Ranma say, informing us that Farhan's paralysis has finally worn off, either that or he shrugged it off using his own powers...or those of Lord Shiva.

"Ready to talk strategy now?" I ask cautiously, preparing myself in case he plans to use any more of the rough stuff.

"Yeah," he assures me, flexing his muscles and balling his fists together, "I've got it under control now, but I'm still mad as hell and I'm gonna go and get back my Nabiki. Nobody has the right to do what that screwball is trying to pull off, nobody, not even a god, and this one sounds more whacked out than the usual sort..."

"What do you mean by 'usual sort?'" Peorth eyes him suspiciously.

"Never mind," I say, turning back to Belldandy, "Whether you can accept it as the truth or not Goddess, the evidence that I've so far encountered confirms in my eyes that the Celestine you remember did indeed attempt to mount a rebellion against the heavens, but his plan had one critical flaw, and it tore an opening in the fabric of time and space that let creatures of the outer dark leak through and infect your whole dimension. The grief and horror at what he did must have driven him completely over the edge, but he managed to rescue you and preserve you, clear of the memories of what had happened, only now he's going to try it again on an even grander scale than before..."

"And because there was no Keiichi to remind Bell of her humanity..." Peorth finishes for me then gives me a shocked look before continuing, "What became of the me of that timeline?"

"Hard to say," Farhan mused, "But I suspect that the answer to that question still exists on your home timeline."

Belldandy is still shaking her head in denial as I sense Ranma looking hard at me, and the next minute he's asking, "What the plan? Do we go in there and break heads?"

"We might have to," I reluctantly admit, "Goes against my principles to fight a bad guy on his own home turf. Doing that's what got my head handed to me in the last fight, but if the Timestorm is breaking out now that his structure is collapsing..."

"Then Celestine will be expending energy to attempt to recontain it," Peorth deduces, "That will leave him vulnerable to a physical attack. He's much less formidable if you confront him on a physical level."

"More a schemer than a fighter," I nod, though I reluctantly add, "But he's not a half-bad fencer either."

"He trained with the best back when swords were a matter of survival," Belldandy lowers her chin and looks depressed, "I'll help you in any way that I can, but...but I just can't believe that Celestine..."

"Later," Ranma smacks his fist to palm and growls, "Let's go kick his ass."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Peorth glances at me and says, "Chakar?"

I nod then say, "Farhan, old buddy, if you wouldn't mind?"

"Oh, no trouble at all," he says and waves a hand to create a mirrored portal, "I've got the coordinates already figured out, so you should arrive only a few seconds after your disappearance."

"Then let's do it," Ranma says, and-true to form-he's the first one to plunge headfirst through the portal.

"Coming ladies?" I ask as I wave my hand to allow them to follow next.

"Not now...possibly later," Peorth replies as she gently takes Belldandy by the hand and guides her through the portal, and then I'm hot on their tight, divine asses as we cross the gap back to the plane of Ashkalon...where the real fun is about to start in only a few more minutes...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Spear of Destiny Rebuttals: shadowmane

Ranko and crew continue to rally a Posse while Chakar leads an assault against Celestine and his temple, but will reality itself survive, "When Gods Collide," or, "War within the Pocket Heaven*!" Be there! (*Not to be confused with Pokeheaven, which is an entirely different concept...)

X -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: ~ All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	15. Chapter 15

RanWarp15

Realities Warped!

By Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi and other artists too numerous to mention.  
The Characters Chakar Shadowmane and Garimel Shalestar, however, were created by me, while Trella (RA Curtis) provided some of the characters and ideas that appear within this chapter, based on her series "Aiyaa, My Goddess!"  
and a few guys by the name of Andy Kent, Gregg Sharp and Steve Theskin inspired a few of the others.  
Use by anyone else is strictly verboten and might get you severely Nookied! You have been duly warned!)

Chapter Fifteen.

Gathering the Posse

Continuum #97842513

Ranko Saotome was proud of her heritage and bloodline, of the Anything Goes traditions that she was sworn to uphold. She looked up to her adopted mother and father as though they were the ones who had actually been her parents on the timeline from which she originated, and she had enjoyed many long sessions over the past year of studying and training at the feet of the true Master of the art, her father, who was a near-god in her eyes (and not just because of his connections to a certain Lord Shiva).

Among the many traditions of the Saotome Ryu that she fiercely prized was that she never ran from a fight or refused a legitimate challenge to prove herself as a martial artist. Saotomes never turned tail and ran like cowards (at least not in her generation), they only...strategically withdrew in the face of superior firepower, such as right now while she and her reluctant companions beat tail while avoiding a hail of machine gun bullets that whizzed past them with disturbing closeness.

"What the fuck is her problem?" demanded the cat-like girl named Leona, "We didn't do anything to those guys...at least...not to deserve this!"

"That much is understood," said Yui Hibiki with preternatural calm as she trotted alongside her sister, Reiko, "But I believe that she is deliberately aiming to miss us, intending to give chase without actually doing us harm..."

"Are you sure about that?" Meiko asked from right beside her.

"Hey, trust me and Yui on this," Reiko responded, "It's a lot harder to miss with one of those things than they make it look like in the movies. Not many people could spray you and not hit something, at least by random pattern-  
chance..."

"Oh, wonderful," said Honeysuckle, "So if any of us actually get hit then it means she was off with her aim by a fraction?"

"Wouldn't matter if it was a fraction!" Ranko shot back, "You ever seen what one of those things can do if they hit even in a non-vital area? I have, and it isn't pretty!"

"What I want to know is why they kept calling me and elf and tried to rip my clothes off," Maya risked glancing back over her shoulder, "First time anybody ever wanted to denude me over a case of mistaken identity. I mean...look at me, do I have pointed ears and arching eyebrows? You think these facial markings of mine just mean I have a tattoo fetish?"

"Well, that big guy did challenge me to a lawful fight," Ranko shrugged, "And I beat him fair and square. Not that I've got any idea what a clown like that was doing in a primitive rustic village like that with that sword chick and the blonde wielding the Uzi."

"M62GPMG," Leona corrected, "Japanese design, standard issue, modified for the special service branch of the Self Defense Force. It uses standard US M13 metallic link disintegrating belt, fires at a rate of over six hundred rounds per minute..."

"Spare us the breakdown," Maya replied, "I just hope one of those clowns isn't the party we came here to recruit..."

"You're telling me?" Honeysuckle sniffed, "I mean...who thought that dog could perform magic, and was a high level caster..."

"Yeah," Reiko sniffed, "But the way she talked it was like she was just as stupid as the rest of those..."

"HEY!" Leona came to a sudden halt as they reached the top crest of the low rise they had been scaling, and then her fat-like eyes seemed to bug out for a moment, and with a delighted cry she shouted out, "I'M IN LOVE!"

"Huh?" Meiko said as she came up short behind the redheaded cat-girl, only to see Leona spring with impossible agility to pounce upon a very large object that had been waiting for them there as though by pre-arrangement.

Ranko was next over the ridge and discovered at once what had entranced the half-breed Bioroid, but she had to blink her eyes twice to insure it was not a mirage or an illusion, and only then did she venture to say, "A...tank?"

"You've got to be kidding me," Reiko said as she and Yui fell in step right behind her.

"Oh, not bloody well again," Honeysuckle grumbled.

"A tank," Maya said as she stared in dismay then glanced around, "In a medieval setting?"

"Um...Sis?" Meiko asked.

"We didn't shift," Ranko replied, "I didn't feel the tingle, but...I guess if this place has a paramilitary type bimbo with an automatic rifle...it doesn't seem too outlandish to suppose they'd also have a tank in reserve..."

"Are you serious?" Honeysuckle looked at her in dismay, "A tank?"

"Not just any tank!" Leona cried happily from where she was hugging the massive gun barrel as though she were intending to hump it, "It's a Type 74 Main Battle Tank, circa 1978-2020, a real beauty of a design, and specially modified by the look of it! OOOOHHH! I've always wanted one for my collection!"

"Is she serious?" Reiko asked, "That antiquated piece of old hardware?"

"It does appear to be in remarkably good condition for its make and model," Yui noted rather calmly.

"But...a tank?" Maya repeated.

Suddenly Ranko felt a familiar tingling sensation and said, "Uh oh...it's happening again, guys, we're shifting!"

"Now?" Meiko asked in surprise.

"About time if you ask me," Reiko glanced nervously over her shoulder, "Those nuts who hunt elves are closing in on us but fast!'

"But where...?" Honeysuckle started as she noticed something else unusual, "The tank? It's coming with us?"

"You mean I get to keep it?" Leona cried with delight, "Kawaii!"

"But...a tank?" Ranko asked in dismay, just before they phased out from this continuum altogether...

Continuum #76157982

Cheshire lowered her field glasses and scanned the horizon before saying, "All clear on the North perimeter, little Brother. The fence is up and functioning like always."

The com in her oversized ear buzzed back, "Roger that, Oneechan. All other patrols reporting in normal. Guess your shift's over now, so you and Colt can head on back to the farm and get some well-deserved chow and a scrub."

"Amen to that, little Brother," Cheshire smiled as she reached down and patted the flanks of her sister-mount and said, "Time to head on home to base, partner. Oats for you and some nice Purina chow for me..."

"About time," the four-legged Centaur whose back she bestrode replied, "We've been on patrol all day and we haven't spotted anything out of the ordinary. You think those guys have finally given up trying to hassle us and are giving us a break for once?"

Cheshire chuckled to herself, "Not in our lifetime, Girlfriend, and you should wish that days will always be this quiet and peaceful on the ranch and..."

All at once a loud crash sounded out in a patch of ground very close to where Centaur and rider were standing, and at once Colt skittered away like her namesake and had to be calmed down by some affectionate pats to her pleasure centers by a quick-thinking Cheshire, who had no taste for being thrown out of her non-existent saddle.

"Whoah...easy there, Honey-pie," Cheshire urged when she paused to see the very large object that had just spoiled their otherwise peaceful day, to say nothing of the seven odd looking girls who had landed with it in a patch of ground flanking the tank that dominated the center.

"Ow...what happened?"

"I think we missed our mark with that last transfer."

"You think?"

"Good thing none of us were under that thing when we landed..."

"Yeah, seriously..."

"At least we seem to be intact, and so is that bloody tank, for that matter..."

"We also appear not to be alone."

"Huh?" a redhead with a pigtail sat upright and glanced in their direction, but Cheshire already had her Pokedex out and was doing a quick scan of these strangers to determine their identities and statistics...

POKEDEX READINGS:

Human/Female-Normal Type, strong Aura readings, artifact-level pendant Human/Female-Near-Pokegirl type: Valkyrie, strong Aura, magical abilities Human/Female-Near-Pokegirl type: Artificer, strong Aura, magical abilities Near-Human/Female: Megumi type, strong magical abilities Near-Human/Female: Bioroid, Class C Hybrid, proto-Catgirl characteristics Near-Human/Female: EVA-Oni class, strong latent Psychic abilities Near-Human/Female: EVA-class, strong Psychic presence, neo-Diva abilities

"What is it?" Colt asked, having already drawn her sidearms and training them on the new arrivals, "Who or what are they?"

"I don't really know," Cheshire replied, "Not Pokegirls, but near enough that there's hardly a difference, all except the one over there, she reads as full human."

"Er..." the redhead so indicated replied, seeing the incongruous sight of a tabby-striped cat-girl wearing shorts and a vest sitting astride the back of a female centaur who was holding up a pair of nasty-looking blasters in their general direction, and for a moment she wondered if they had been dropped into the Furry equivalent of a western, "Pardon me? What did you just call us?"

"Pokegirls," the tiger-striped cat-girl replied, "Some of you read near enough to be like us, but it's obvious enough that you're not from around here."

"No sheep-dip," grumbled the other cat-girl in their presence, Leona, who looked to be in a poor mood after having taken a spill from her now-beloved tank, "And who are you, Sheriff Joan of the Forest?"

"My name is Cheshire, and this is my partner, Colt," the tabby-striped Cheshire replied, dismounting from the Centaur's back to give her best friend the freedom she needed to operate at her best, "And this is the Saotome Ranch, which you have just violated. State your name and purpose or prepare to be treated as hostiles."

"Hostiles?" Meiko blinked, "Hey, I remember you! Sis, It's Cheshire, remember her?"

"Who?" Ranko blinked.

"Your...uh..." the dark haired girl in Valkyrie armor suddenly thought better of the matter and said, "Never mind...guess that hasn't happened yet..."

"I don't know what this is about," Cheshire said as she scowled at these strangers, "But you're intruders on Saotome land, and my father will be very insistent on meeting all of you, so keep your hands where we can see them or Colt will be forced to neutralize you."

"Um...wait a minute," Meiko raised her hands in a disarming manner, "We're not here to cause trouble. We're on a very important mission and we sort-of wound up here without meaning to..."

"Yeah?" the Centaur sniffed as she kept those wicked looking guns of hers trained upon them, "Tell us another one. What are you, a new kind of Team Rocket or Trauma?"

"Neither one," replied the pale Yui as she studied the two strange looking beast-women before saying, "Pardon me for asking, but you are a Saotome, are you not?"

"Huh?" the cat-girl's ears flattened and her eyebrows came together while her long tail swished in annoyance, "How did you know that?"

"Read our bio-statistics with that scanner of yours," Yui replied, "I believe you will find something else that is very interesting about us."

"What do suppose she's getting on about, Chesh?" Colt asked.

"I don't really know," Cheshire replied as she held up her remote-like scanner and swept it over their group at a distance, "But there is a common anomaly I'm reading in their DNA...especially those two and the purple-haired one..."

"Why is it that everyone I meet always makes some comment about my natural haircolor?" Honeysuckle asked in a tone of faint resignation.

Cheshire froze then said, "I...I don't believe this..."

"What?" Colt inquired.

"I'm picking up characteristics typical of the same Saotome DNA pattern that I have," Cheshire looked at Ranko and the others with even more concern than before, "Y-Gene Mitochondrial strands, which means they got it on their father's half of the equation. That means they're my...sisters?"

"Give the lady an A," Reiko snorted, "Of course you'll also note that my sis and me belong to the family of Hibiki..."

"Hibiki?" Colt's trigger fingers steadied on her guns, which she kept trained now in Reiko's direction.

Ranko saw this and hastily said, "Look, we don't want any trouble, and our being here wasn't really intentional on our part. It was...um...sort of arranged for us to meet like this, though, so it might help if you put those guns away and we can talk this out like rational people..."

"This is your idea of rational folk?" Maya asked.

Colt moved her guns to cover a wider range of fire and said, "I don't have to take that from outsiders, even if you are Saotome-begatted."

"Try it and I'll feed those to you, Horse-face!" Leona snarled, displaying claws that had only looked like fingernails prior to this moment.

Ranko sighed, "Why do I even bother?"

Cheshire calmly reached to her belt and pulled something out into the open that looked like a round ball with a window-like eye in the center of it, and she spoke aloud, "Ball, wide-range capture, near-human types. Go!"

"Hey...wait!" Meiko gasped as suddenly a cone of light sprang up from the eye of the ball to surround their group and pull them into its center. Like that the clearing between the Pokegirls and the tank was cleared, which prompted Colt to point her guns skyward and switch back to their safeties.

"Handy device that," the Centaur mused, "Sure beats the standard issue Pokeball."

"It's the new and improved model," Cheshire replied as she set the ball back on her belt, "Better than having to carry around multiple balls filled with individual Pokegirls-what?"

All at once she whirled around to find that her Pokeball had been removed from her belt by the near-EVA girl who looked something like an Ice maiden. Yui held it up and said, "Interesting design. I take it that it works like this?"

"Hey, don't-!" Cheshire made a lunge for the ball even as Yui's hand depressed a certain switch that activated its eye again, only this time both the cat-girl and her Centaur partner were absorbed into the iris.

"Fascinating," Yui remarked as she studied the ball, now the only human figure left near the side of the motionless tank, then she mused aloud, "I wonder how you get them out of there? Oh well, it seems academic...we seem to be shifting anyway...and I wonder where we'll find ourselves the next time...?"

Continuum #71180134

"Hurry up, Sis, we don't have too much more time before we're discovered!"

"I am hurrying!" declared Tsuyoma as he worked the keypad furiously on his holographic wrist projector, "It's triple encrypted with a 132 bit code, but I think I've got the sequence down...it should just take another minute-there!"

The massive gates on the underground laboratory complex began to open on heavy pneumatic hinges, many metric tones of steel parting to reveal the hanger complex that was contained within the highly secretive government complex.

"About time," grumbled Salon as she risked glancing over her shoulder before darting into the darkened chamber within, "Thirty-eight seconds...I could have done it in twelve!"

"Sure you could," Sometra snorted as she hastened to follow her sister into the darkness, "But let's just keep moving now before we encounter any more...soldiers...?"

"What is it...?" Tsuyoma was about to ask his sisters before the three of them came to an abrupt halt while the automatic lighting of the place flared on all around them, revealing what was contained within, to which he could only murmur a faint, "I don't believe it..."

"That makes two of us, Oniichan," Salon replied as she stared up and up at the huge forms that awaited their discovery, looking like a pair of heavily armored statues carved in basalt and marble.

"I don't believe it," Sometra murmured softly, "They actually built the bloody things? They must be insane!"

"No doubt about it," Tsuyoma forced himself to glance down at his wrist device, and hastily punched in new commands on the holographic note pad.

"Well?" Salon asked faintly.

"These are them all right," their brother grimly replied, "Geomancer-Class Cyberoids, fully armed and ready. Holy Kami! The firepower on one of these things is incredible! You could take out a whole army and not even scratch the paint on this armor."

"Oh swell," Sometra winced, "So how do we take them out on our lonesome? I don't think we packed enough explosives for that..."

"Maybe if we packed it into a few key plates?" Salon suggested.

"No good," Tsuyoma replied, "I'm not picking up any weak areas on or around the plates. We could blow up all of our explosives in one area and it still wouldn't do more than superficial damage. These things were designed to withstand multiple impacts from conventional warheads, and the shield capacity in their auto defense systems..."

"All right, so we can't blow them up," Sometra nodded, "Then we steal them like in our backup plans."

"How?" Salon asked, "Do you know how to pilot one of those monsters, because I sure don't!"

"You got a point there, Sis," Tsuyoma said grimly, "Not just anyone can pilot them...they have to be carefully gene-matched to the operator control system. You bond with the things it's an automatic match and no one else can pilot them, ever. You could even remotely operate them by interfacing with the onboard AI, kind of like mentally hooking up with them and developing a mental tether that works even when you're separated..."

"Swell," Sometra winced, "Then we go to our third backup plan...forget destroying these suckers, let's bring down the whole mountain."

Salon looked shocked at that and said, "Are you sure that's our only backup plan, Sis? Blow it up...with us inside it?"

"If it can't be avoided, it may come down to that," Tsuyoma said grimly, "The alternative is to set the charges them beat it out of here before the fireworks begin, fighting our way past a whole army that won't be too happy to see us..."

"The only other alternative I see is to leave these here and let the Conspiracy have them," Sometra grimaced, "And you know the Empire won't survive for very long if that happens."

"Well...guess that decides it then," Salon shrugged, glancing over her shoulder, "Too bad. I would have liked to have lived to see my graduation day from the academy..."

"This one's for you, Dad," Tsuyoma nodded as he studied the two monster mecha before them.

"Let's do it," Sometra began to unsling her pack to get at the explosives when a voice behind her said, "And what a shame it would be, going to so much work for nothing."

"Huh?" Tsuyoma whirled around then faintly groaned, "Not you guys...!"

The officer wearing the colonel's cap smiled smugly at the three teenagers and said, "I might have known the infamous Saotome clan might attempt something like this. You always were too clever and inquisitive for your own good, but now that you've discovered our little secret there can be no turning back for any of you. I'm afraid this is where you brilliant career gets cut short, Saotome Tsuyoma-san, and that of your charming sisters with you."

The sound of a dozen rifles being cocked gave emphasis to the Colonel's point, while a man stepped forward and said, "Let me handle this, Uncle...I'll see to it that these traitors are severely dealt with."

"Colonel Mendou?" Salon asked, recognizing the figure in the immaculate white uniform as the commandant in charge of this complex.

"Kuno Taramaki," Sometra growled the word, "Might've known you'd try to take advantage of this, Cousin. My mother warned me that you'd come to a very bad end one of these days..."

"Silence!" Colonel Shutaro Mendou snapped, "My sister's son does have a point...you are clearly traitors to the empire, and as such must be dealt with severely."

"You're the traitors here!" Salon snapped, "You're the ones who are plotting to overthrow the empire!"

"On the contrary," the Colonel replied, "We are saving the Empire from the decadence of recent years, the cloying desire for peace that has infested our government and made weak women out of our leaders. It is time for strength and certainty to replace the cloying rot of the politicians, and once people see that we are prepared to defend Nippon against our enemies to the north..."

"Start a war you mean," Tsuyoma countered.

The Colonel waved the point aside, "Semantics. I can hardly expect a mere scientist with pretensions to being a warrior to understand the true calling of men of battle, but you and the others will soon learn that war is the destiny of nations, and only the strong can lead, the strong and those wise enough to know who their true enemies are and who their actual friends can be, my dear Saotome-  
san."

"So why are we talking about it, Uncle?" Sometra asked, "Why haven't you opened fire?"

"There is no need," Colonel Mendou replied, "After all...I have a much better use for you, niece, you and that freakish Amazon of a half-sister beside you. The two of you can serve us well by fulfilling your ambitions to pilot our Geomancers..."

"What?" Salon cried, "Are you insane?"

"And if you do not agree to cooperate," Mendou smiled nastily, "Well then...your brother will make excellent target practice for my men. What will it be, ladies? His life or your obedience to me?"

The purple-haired Salon exchanged a troubled look with her black-haired half-  
sister and the two of them in turn looked up at the pigtailed Tsuyoma. All three seemed to be weighing their chances and thinking it over when...unexpectedly, a voice from behind them spoke up:

"Oh my...now this is certainly unusual. Very different from the last place..."

"Huh?" all three of them asked as they turned around to see a peculiar looking blue haired girl in a strange body-tight suit holding up an odd ball in one hand and looking curiously up at the giant mecha.

"Where did you come from?" Colonel Mendou frowned, pointing with one well-  
manicured finger and adding, "And what is that you have with you? A grenade?"

"Hmm?" the blue haired girl replied, then looked from the man in the resplendent white uniform to the ball she held and said, "Oh, this? A good question. I believe I do know how to activate it, though, by depressing...this switch..."

All at once the eye of the ball projected outward, and like that tiny objects expanded rapidly in size to fill the space off to one side of the three teenagers, and like that the captured teens appeared, landing with a "THUD" on the floor and effectively distracting the troopers.

"What in the name of the Emperor...?" Colonel Mendou gasped.

Tsuyoma would have asked the same question under ordinary circumstances, but the diversion was just the thing he needed to bring his hands together as the force of the Ki he had been absorbing was primed and ready for release, and without warning he cried out, "MAKO TAKABISHI!" catching the soldiers by surprise and blowing them away like leaves before a hurricane.

"Got 'em," Tsuyoma smiled, almost missing Sometra's frantic cry of, "ABOVE YOU, BROTHER!"

"Huh?" he declared as he instinctively dodged to one side just as a katana raked the space where he had been standing, and even as fast as he was he did not get away unscathed, feeling the edge of the razor sharp blade slicing through his clothes and cutting a thin line across his body.

"Got you now!" Taramaki snarled as he followed up on his leaping slash with a thrust that just missed skewering his opponent altogether, "Now you will pay for the insult your father once gave to house Kuno!"

"Taramaki!" Sometra cried as Salon whipped out her chain and caught the sword-  
wielding youth by the wrist, throwing him off as he sought again to skewer their brother. The next instant the young Amazon gave a foot-sandwich to the other boy and sent him sailing off into dreamland, his katana carelessly tossed to one side as Salon wrapped up her weighted chain and replaced it back around her waist.

"Good thinking, Sis," Tsuyoma felt his side and winced when he saw the blood there.

"How bad is it?" Sometra asked.

"I'll live," Tsuyoma replied, "Damned careless, though. If I'd been as sloppy as that when fighting in the Arena..."

"Um..." Salon turned to see the teenaged youths who had just arrived, who were also just then regaining their footing and their bearings, "Mind if I ask who the new talent is? Two or three of 'em don't exactly look...human."

"Who are you calling a human?" asked the four legged Colt as she got back on her hooves and offered a hand to the cat-like Cheshire.

"What...is this place?" Cheshire glanced around, "Looks like some kind of a hanger..."

"Good call," Honeysuckle pointed, "And take a look at that!"

"Giant Mecha?" Ranko felt the urge to groan, "What's next?"

"You really wanna know the answer to that one, Oneechan?" Meiko quipped wryly.

"Could be a good place to start," Reiko sniffed, "Giant Mecha looks fairly ordinary to me, but it's the rest of this set-up I don't dig. You Sis?"

"A little bit," Yui replied, then glanced over to the trio of new faces, "I take it, from the appearance of these three, that we have encountered yet more of our distant kinsmen?"

"Um...excuse us for asking," Tsuyoma broke in, "But you do know that you're not supposed to be here, right?"

"And what does that make you...handsome?" purred the sultry Maya.

"Um...mind if we table this for later?" Salon glanced nervously back towards the door, "I hear company coming on, and I don't think they'll be in a mood to talk like the colonel."

"Company, just great," Ranko sniffed, "Are we always going to wind up landing in the middle of things?"

"Been that way for as long as I remember, Sis," Meiko smiled wryly.

Ranko glanced down at her pendant and said, "Now might be a good time for another plane shift."

"You think it's actually listening to what you say?" Honeysuckle asked as she stood ready for whatever trouble was headed their way.

"Whoever you guys are," Sometra noted as she, too, stood at the ready, "You've bargained in for a world of trouble...just thought you should know that."

"Like we hadn't figured it out already?" Cheshire asked before saying, "Colt, take flank and cover me. When I go in, start the guns blazing."

"Standard procedure," the Centaur duly noted.

"Here they come!" Salon warned, even as a group of armed men came charging down the corridor with automatic weapons, opening fire the moment they saw the group that was waiting to meet them.

But then a hellacious explosion sounded from just off to their right, and then an almost simultaneous blast blew away the front ranks of those who came rushing in to attack, scattering men in a twisted blast of concrete, bone, flesh and uniform that went scattering in all directions. As one the group all turned in dismay even as Leona cried out from the top hatch, "HAH, TAKE THAT, YOU LOSERS!"

"What did she just say?" Honeysuckle asked, sticking a pinky in her right ear and wiggling it as though to clear out the ringing.

"Huh?" Meiko asked.

"Sounded to me as though Leona is reverting to type already," Maya said in rather dry humor.

"A tank?" Tsuyoma stared in open dismay, "Where the heck did that come from?"

"A fairly primitive model at that," Sometra noted, "My family produces far more sophisticated weapons that this antique marvel..."

"Who cares as long as it's not pointing at us?" Salon countered.

"Sure made a mess of things for those guys," Colt remarked, wincing slightly in distaste as she took in the distant carnage.

Cheshire perked her ears and twitched her whiskers before saying, "Don't look now but there's another wave of them coming, and they sound angry!"

"So what?" Leona snorted, "I'll give 'em another round if they try anything!"

"I don't mean to burst your bubble," Meiko remarked, "But I don't think they're sending in the infantry this time..."

"Huh?" Reiko asked, "What do you...OY!"

The heavy clanking sounds they were hearing heralded the arrival of the next wave of combat units, only these were not human soldiers this time but rather armored troopers in small-sized single-man Mecha, each one around ten or twelve feet in height but looking as mean as they were heavily armed, and this time when Leona shot a round at their ranks she only managed to take two of them down, the other ten surging forward with heavy guns trained and blazing.

"SCATTER!" Ranko cried out while taking her own advice and seeking the nearest shelter that was on hand as bullets the size of large stones went whizzing past at high velocity, tearing out huge holes in anything they hit and even managing to put a small dent in the T-74s armor, much to Leona's intense annoyance.

"Why you-SUNUVABITCH!" she cried, turning to the auto-fire machine gun mounted atop the tank as its primary backup weapon. To others it might seem as effective as lobbing beanbags back at the heavy troopers advancing upon them, but from Leona's perspective it was better to go down fighting than to pack it in like a coward.

But even as the various youth sought to avoid being made into casualties by the uneven odds stacked against them, something huge moved on its own and blocked the attacking mecha, an arm the size of a large truck blocking the way, them sweeping forth to knock the smaller units aside like a child might do to toy models.

"Holy...what in the hell?" Reiko asked from where she was hiding behind the tank.

"Fascinating," said Yui, who had not taken cover but instead had her arm outstretched in the same manner as the giant mecha, "It responds to commands very much like a Model Six EVA..."

"What in the...you mean...you're controlling that?" Sometra asked as she poked her head out from concealment.

"Apparently so," Yui remarked as she lowered her arm, causing the seventy-five-  
foot tall behemoth standing off to her side to do likewise, "I am trained to interface with similar technology, and I dare say that you could do the same thing yourself if you exert yourself, Sister."

"Huh?" Reiko blinked, then she moved from cover and said, "Oh...yeah...well...I knew that..."

"Wait a minute," Salon said, "You mean you intend to bond with these Geomancers?"

"Bond with them?" Reiko cracked her knuckles and smiled, "Naw, but I just intend to borrow it for a while. Now...let's see if the old magic can apply in this timezone..."

She extended her arms to the motionless giant still resting in its cradle, eyes focused, body relaxed as she slowed her breathing down and seemed to extend herself in the direction of the mecha. Tsuyoma turned from her to where Yui was causing the other Geomancer to kneel down and extend a hand towards her, then said, "You mean...you're trained Mecha pilots? But...?"

"It's kind of a long story," Ranko said as she glanced around then asked, "Is anybody hurt? Did anybody take a hit back there?"

"Just a little shaken up is all," Cold replied as she favored one of her four legs, prompting Cheshire to move closer to examine the mild gash taken on her flanks, "Think they'll mount another attack?"

"Not unless they are utterly insane and unduly suicidal," Maya replied, "My guess would be that they will wait and see just how large a force we are before they retaliate with the next wave."

"Hopefully we'll be out of here before that can happen," Meiko replied, turning to Tsuyoma and saying, "Do you mind if we borrow your robots for a bit? It's kind of an emergency where we're from and..."

"Hey, if you can get them out of here then you're welcome to have them as far as I'm concerned," Tsuyoma assured them, "We came here to either steal or destroy these things..."

"Yes," Sometra said, "They constitute an escalation of technology with the potential to destabilize the international arms race. The private group that constructed these things was intending to use them against the government of the Empire..."

"But now we don't have to blow ourselves up and bring this whole mountain down, right?" Salon asked, a bit too hopeful.

"Hope you're right about that...Sis," Honeysuckle said as she eyed the other girl who resembled her so closely, "So...um...how many did Dad marry on this timeline anyway?"

"Excuse me?" Salon asked back with a much-confused expression.

"Never mind," Ranko said, "We're not planning on staying for very long, and it would take too long to..."

"HAH! Nothing to it!" cried Reiko from just above their hands as they collectively looked up to see her riding upon the upturned palm of the second Geomancer, "Hey, Yui! Think mom and dad'll let us keep these when we get home?"

"Just think about entering the control cabin, Sister," the preternaturally calm blue-haired Hibiki replied, even as an iris opened on the chestplate before her with heavy plate panels parting to clear the way into the central chest cabin of her huge mecha.

"Right," Reiko replied as she started to follow her sister's example, only to pause and say, "Hey...it's happening again! I'm going transparent!"

"So we are," Meiko mused as she noticed the same phenomenon with her own hand, "Guess that means you three are about to get a crash course in cross-time parallel travel."

"Cross-time...what?" Tsuyoma said as he stared though his own hand at the shocked expressions of his two sisters.

"Just go with the flow, gang," Ranko assured, "We'll be there before you..."

A distant series of explosions rocked the mountain about them, and then it started to collapse upon them, even as the world resolved and faded into nothing...

Continuum #535854018

Valda had been enjoying a nice ride home from school when she got the word that there was trouble on the road directly between high school and home, so she was almost prepared for the sight that greeted her when she rounded the bend and saw the giant mecha.

"Holy mother of Trojans," she murmured faintly under her breath as she pulled up along the side of the road and stared up and up at the full length of the incredible Mecha. She tracked back down and saw tiny figures gathered about the feet of the twin colossi, then murmured aloud, "Bampei, are you making out what I'm seeing here?"

"Affirmative," the voice of her on-board computer responded, "Making out two large Type XIII Mecha, one T-74 model SDF class tank and thirteen humanoid life-  
forms ranging from class M to Z, plus one unregistered terminal unit with connections to Yggdrasil."

"Yggdrasil?" Valda lifted one dark blue eyebrow, "Well...I guess that's good, 'cause otherwise I'd think Aunt Urd had slipped something into my lunch. Might as well serve up the welcome wagon and see what these guys want..."

As she gunned the engine of her motorcycle and closed the distance she tuned up her audial receptors and picked up on what sounded like the tail end of a lengthy explanation with a redhead telling some guy with a pigtail, "...So you see, as a Time Agent I'm authorized to deputize you guys since we all seem to be needed to cope with this big emergency involving some renegade god whose out to do something really bad to reality as we know it..."

"Is this for real?" a dark haired girl with a ponytail remarked, "Alternate dimensions, gods and demons and beast-girls with fur or hooves..."

"Pokegirls," corrected the one who looked like a human-shaped tabby, "Colt and I are Pokegirls, not beast-girls...there's a difference."

"Fine...whatever," another girl with purple hair remarked with a shrug, only to turn her head towards Valda and say, "Uh oh...don't look now guys, but we've got company."

Valda smiled when she heard that and deliberately gunned the engine of her monster, popping a wheelie and riding it in until she was almost on top of these strangers, then deliberately going into a spin to bring herself to a halt right in front of their leaders and between the twin towers formed by the colossal Mecha.

Everyone fell silent and waited until she removed her helmet, then she shook out her long mane of indigo colored hair before fixing them with a dazzling smile and giving the big guy a look that would surely annoy his girlfriend...if any girl here qualified for that title.

"Hi there," she purred, "You guys aren't from around here, are you?"

A redheaded girl with catlike ears whistled appreciatively and said, "Nice piece..."

"You think so?" Meiko replied with a naughty leer that made Ranko look at her askance, especially when her younger sister added, "I've seen worse..."

"I was talking about the motorcycle," Leona growled, "What did you think I meant...? Oh yeah...that..." she laughed nervously and rubbed the back of her head.

There was some collective eye blinking, then a pretty blonde turned to the new arrival and said, "Oh great...they let anyone into Valhalla these days..."

"Huh?" Valda turned to the blonde and said, "And who are you?"

"Maya, daughter of Urd and Mara...whom some call Mraller," the blonde replied, "And you are?"

"Uh...Valda...daughter of Saotome Ranma and the Goddess Belldandy..." she blinked then said, "Excuse me...Urd and Mara? Are you serious?"

"I am if you are about Aunt Belldandy and Uncle Ranma," Maya responded.

"Er...excuse me," the redhead raised a hand, "Valda...that's you're name, right? Mine's Saotome Ranko...pleased to meet you."

"Charmed," Valda glanced at the face of one stranger after another then said, "You're all from alternate dimensions?"

"Just about," said a purple haired girl, "And I don't blame anyone for being skeptical, even if this does sound like one of those harebrained stories about our parents and their experiments into Quantum Paratime travel..."

"Not so harebrained if this is the result of dad's research," the only guy amid the field of strange girls remarked, scratching behind one ear as though he were intensely concentrating, "I'm not sure about this business about a renegade god, but I suppose the proof of what you say is the way in which you spirited us out of that mountain before it went collapsing all around us. Now this girl shows up...and according to you she's another sister, like Salon and Sometra?"

"Sister?" Valda tried to hide the disappointment from her voice as she sighed, "What a pity, handsome. Oh well, never tried it with a brother before, but..."

"Do you mind?" asked the cat-girl with the tabby stripes, "Is she the one we came to pick up? And if so, can we go now?"

"Easy there, Chesh," Colt cautioned, "I know it's been a few hours, but you can hold off a little longer, can't you?"

"Hold off on what?" asked the dark haired girl with the headband.

"She must mean...um...never mind," Meiko said with an evasive glance towards her redheaded older sister.

"I believe that she has an unusual physical condition which requires medication," said the soft-spoken pale blue haired girl beside the other.

"Good call," the handsome man said as he scanned the Pokegirl with his wrist device and made out some sort of holographically generated readings, "Heartbeat and respiration are irregular, hormone count at an accelerated level, brain chemistry erratic...what kind of medication does she use anyway?"

"Special kind," the cat-girl replied, looking irritable as her tail flicked from side to side, "Trust this to happen on the day when I forget to refill my prescription..."

"I have similar medication myself," the Centaur explained, "But the formulation is different for each sub-class of Pokegirl, so mine won't work for her..."

"What happens if she doesn't get her medication?" asked the girl in Valkyrie-  
like armor.

"It would be bad," the striped girl said in what sounded like a nervous chuckle, "Let's just leave it at that, okay?"

"Right," Ranko said with some sympathy, "Okay, maybe if we hurry things a bit we can get you back home in time to help out, all right? Now, unless this pendant of mine is going to keep us waiting around for a bit longer..."

"Apparently not," Yui remarked ever-so-calmly, "I can feel the process beginning once more, we are shifting even now as we speak..."

"Here we go again," one of the purple haired girls said fatalistically.

"You do this kind of thing often?" the other purple haired girl asked her.

Before anyone could answer this the ground literally gave out from underneath them, leaving them all high and dry over a churning surface that looked exactly like the cool blue ocean underneath them. Ranko and company took one look down and then collectively say, "OH-SHIII-!"

The next few seconds were filled with the sounds of bodies hitting the water, excluding the two giant Mecha, and the tank which did not manifest with them, leaving Leona and the others to take a cold bath in the briny blue that swallowed them wholesale.

All except for Valda, who was quick to activate the jet mode on her motorcycle and so was able to break her fall, but not so the others. Only her sort-of-  
cousin, Maya, had the ability to fly, after all, so they alone were left to hover in air while the others splashed around over the endless blue expanse of what was clearly the pacific ocean.

"Let me guess," Valda remarked, "You guys don't have a lot of practice controlling your dimension shifts, right?"

"You could put it that way," Maya replied, staring around, "Now...why do you suppose we were brought to his location? Not a speck of land anywhere around us..."

"Yeah, weird how that...huh? Wait a second here," Valda stared at her motorcycle's display boards and called up a holographic image, "I'm getting something that's near to us...something big and massive, and it's coming this way at maybe seventeen knots bearing down from due west..."

"Ah..." Maya motioned to the girl on the hovering motorcycle, "Cousin?"

"Yeah?" Valda asked as she turned to see what had surprised her fellow goddess, only to gape in disbelief and say, "What the hell is that thing...?"

The next second the rolling wave of clouds parted before their eyes to reveal sails and rigging with a curious tiger-shaped emblem, and the next second following this their view was obstructed by a unfurled net that came hurtling at the both of them and caught both goddesses by surprise, bearing them down to the deck in a heap a few seconds later.

Valda crashed down with her bike pinning her to the wooden planks underneath her, struggling to break free even as a number of female shapes swarmed over her and the equally trapped Maya. Being caught by surprise with no ability to fight back they were quickly subdued and soon were bound to wooden poles, her bike left behind where it had landed.

The strangers looked mysteriously like pirates, but one in particular caught Valda's attention, being a cherry-haired Buccaneer type wearing an odd mix of Chinese shorts and shirt while brandishing a cutlass. The pink-haired girl seemed to be shouting out orders of some kind saying, "Tell the Captain we caught our birdies, and send some people into the drink to fetch those other bounders. Quite a haul this time, though I'm hanged if I know how they got out here with no ship or plane in sight..."

Valda was not entirely sure what to make of this lady pirate, but seeing as the entire drew was comprised of similarly clad female shapes it did not take much deductive power to reason that she was in a great deal of trouble, her newly acquainted companions with her, and with her hands bound so tight that she cold not employ either martial arts skills or magic to free herself it was looking to be one of those interesting days...the kind that the Chinese often identified as curses...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Packaged Deals from WPOJ Cruise Lines: shadowmane

As the Posse recovers from their travels Chakar, Ranma, Peorth and Belldandy stage their own raid upon the heavens...but will they be enough to save the universe from unraveling? Time itself hangs in the balance as, "When Words Collide," or, "The Pain is Mightier than the Swore!" Be there!

X -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: ~ All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works.  



	16. Chapter 16

RanWarp16 Realities Warped! By Jim Robert Bader (Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi and other artists too numerous to mention. The Characters Chakar Shadowmane and Garimel Shalestar, however, were created by me, while Trella (RA Curtis) provided some of the characters and ideas that appear within this chapter, based on her series "Aiyaa, My Goddess!" and inspired by the fanfics authored by Gregg Sharp, Steve Thesken, Andy Kent and other such creative talents to whom no blame and/or credit can be attributed. Use is prohibited by the Gods of Law, Chaos, on the other hand, won't give a hang, though you still might get you flamed by certain of my pre-readers, and that is a fate to be avoided, believe me! You have been duly warned!) Chapter Sixteen. Dangerous Laisons LEMON WARNING! HENTAI MATERIAL AHEAD! CONTAINS SCENES OF A HIGHLY ADULT NATURE BETWEEN TWO CONSENTING ADOLESCENTS (BOTH AGED 17) ENGAGED IN GRAPHIC BEHAVIOR... YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Continuum #52413783

Gate of Ashkalon

Timetravel's a funny thing.

One minute you're here, the next minute you're somewhen else, and it can get awfully confusing trying to keep track of the ins and outs and vagaries that attend continuity errors. Reality can literally change on you at a moment's notice, and you might slip laterally through the parallel lines separating one Quantum Dimensional Jump from the next, all with a whim since it's your mind and will that keeps everything in focus. Reality is literally what you make of it, which doesn't necessarily mean that we have god-like understanding of how to use it. Heck, even the gods can be pretty clueless at times with the way they mess up probability lines almost haphazard.

We Starlords have been practicing the careful art of blending light and shadow through the Paratime dimensions {For a realy long time?[dev8^}]} and even we get screwed up and turned around every now and then. Travel from one instant to the next is not a feat to be undertaken lightly, though those Bill and Ted guys-not to mention a certain Doctor I could refer to by name-{Who? Exactly[dev8^}]}-make it look too simple for the uninitiated. It's like my old buddy Peabody says, they let anybody these days have a time- and-dimension-hopping license.

Needless to say, however, Farhan has been doing this a lot longer than any other Starlord living, longer than most gods, if you want to know the truth of the matter. That's why our arrival is so perfectly timed to coincide with the moment when Celestine is the most distracted with trying to hold his construct all together.

He's punching one of those light-created holographic control keyboards with multi-processing RAM that I don't even want to take a guess at, but the important thing is that he's distracted big time, so when Me, Saotome and the two goddesses appear it's with a clear shot and an easy take-down strategy forming in my mind, perfect to capture and containment of even a high level multi-dimensional being like him.

So what goes wrong?

Need you ask!

Saotome can't control himself it seems, big overgrown kid. He's not much for sneak attacks anyway, he's more the type to shoot first and maybe question survivors and next of kin after. Maybe it's the general cussedness that's been in him since High School and the collapse of his former life and marriage, or maybe it's the sight of the guy who ticked him off before...or it could be the fact that his wife is hovering in mid-air suspended in the center of an energy vortex that used to be a pyramid and now looks more like an experiment in modern art gone to hell. Whatever it is, the guy takes off without a plan, without strategy and totally without a clue while I stand there like an idiot and wonder why it was that I never saw this coming! Or maybe it's just the code of Budo to which he was raised to believe, and by a guy who did everything in the book to violate it no less, no doubt the main reason why he fights so hard to be what his father only pretended to be.

Whatever the cause, attacking a multi-dimensional being head-on is about one of the most un-smart things you can do in my book, and naturally it gives Celestine sufficient warning time to react to his charge, and even with hands on the keyboard he still had time enough to react with a counter as I see Ranma go slam into a translucent energy wall that gets thrown up into his path. I wince a little, but I know that Saotome can take it if, anyone human can, so I turn to my own devices, which are considerable in themselves and extend my hand to draw my sword from out of shadow, grasping the Greystar Sword in my hand with its Burgundystar pommel, a Minor Starstone linked to the power of the Greystar itself and as formidable a weapon as has ever been called into existence.

With my saber in hand I feel whole again, and I surge forward ready to meet this new challenge even as the goddesses fan out and stare in dismay at the disruptive forces that have been unleashed here. Celestine turns to see our expressions and then he makes a play for sympathy again, one-under the circumstances-that is not entirely unexpected.

"Let me finish my work!" he pleads with genuine conviction in his voice and expression, "I can still save the structure from collapsing..."

"Too late," I reply, "You had your chance and you blew it."

"But if I fail now then the result could be catastrophic!" he insists, "A rupture will be created in the fabric of the timestream...!"

"Should have thought of that before playing God," I counter as I once again feel him out for an opening, fully aware of how ironic my statement must sound under the circumstances, "No one being can control such forces without a time-tested formula to fall back upon..."

"What is happening?" I hear Belldandy cry, "How can this be? This gateway...it's collapsing!"

"The hell with the gateway," Peorth replies, "I'm more worried about what's hiding under the stairs when the building falls down, and it won't be your standard-sized roaches."

I know exactly what the Rose Goddess means, I can feel them crawling at the edges of the cosmic abyss, those things that dwell beyond the realms of light and shadow, who hate all life and exist to terrorize the cosmos. There are far worse things than Demons dwelling outside the threshold of our finite existence, and they do not sleep nor dream as we do. Madness extends beyond that boundary, and the swirling column of energy is like a dinner bell calling them to this domain.

So I attack, having nothing better to do in order to put a stop to this at its source, and Celestine sees his danger, having too much of his energies already diverted into preserving what is left of his construct. He tries the same trick with me that he used on Saotome, but I effortlessly shred through the planar dimensional walls that he throws up and aim the tip of my blade for the pendant that he is wearing, knowing that to be the source of all his power and his ultimate weak area. If I can get that without hurting the kid that he's using as his pawn I can end this fight before it really gets started. Unfortunately for me he's too smart to obligingly stand still and let me skewer him, and instead he deflects my thrust by shredding time itself into wafer-thin slices and using them to push me away. I divert energy of my own to throw off this effective counter but now I'm standing too far away to press my attack again, and he's had time enough to rally enough power to hurl back in my face, curling waves of energy that arc around and strike at me from a dozen sides at once. I draw on shadow and absorb them against my cape, but the time this takes gives him exactly what he needs as he traps my heels in some kind of living plastic, immobilizing me and forcing me to waste time trying to hack free with the Greystar.

Saotome meanwhile is struggling to break free of his energy prison, and ye Gods if he isn't pouring it on like only he can. Guy's more stubborn than a team of mules and doesn't quit for anything, which is sort of what makes him the Avatar of Destruction that he is today. I only catch a glimpse of him out of the corner of my eye but that's enough to tell me that if he gets his hands on Celestine the guy is toast big time.

Of course there is a third player in our little group who prepares to make her stand, and unlike Saotome and me she isn't limited by our immediate surroundings, in fact she can tap into and draw upon them since her ties to the Yggdrasil system are impeccable, being that she's currently a System Coordinator. "Listen here, you renegade!" Peorth snarls as only she can when fully aroused, "You started all of this, now you're going back to your prison so we can undo the damage you caused before your structure collapses and brings the Things into our dimension...!"

"Didn't I teach you better than this?" Celestine replies, "Once a spell is set into motion it cannot be undone with the snap of your fingers. It must be unwoven carefully, with artistry and tact, elements in which you are sadly lacking, I fear, for though you are powerful you lack the refined touch that made Belldandy an ideal apprentice."

"All right, Buster...that tears it!" Peorth declares as she curls her hands and summons the power into her body, "Now you're going to find out just how powerful I really am!" And with that declaration she hurls a spell towards her former mentor, only to have her spell caught and intercepted by a form that moves into the way, blocking the path.

I guess I'm about as surprised as Peorth to find Belldandy standing there looking calm and serene, and then in a strangely calm tone of voice she says, "I cannot let you harm Celestine-sama...he is important to me and his work must not be interrupted." I'm sure Peorth's expression is about as dumbstruck as my own, but the next instant I get a really nasty hunch about what just happened, and before you ask, no, I definitely did not like this...

Continuum #31413215

Ranko knew that something weird was happening even before consciousness returned to her, an odd feeling that was very familiar, like a tingling sensation lodging about her groin area, and growing more familiar by the second. In fact, it was so familiar that by the time her eyes finally obeyed her command that they stay open she was already well aware that she would find a head bobbing up and down over her dick, and a pair of warm lips wrapped around her stiffening member...

Wait a minute. HER stiffening member? With a start Ranko realized his fundamental error. Somehow he had shifted into his male aspect while he had been sleeping, and now there was a girl giving him a blow job, a girl whose long brown mane of hair obscured her identity and left him in doubt as to exactly who it was that was doing him this favor.

Of course the sensation caused by the girl bobbing up and down on him made rational thought somewhat problematic, but Ranko was aware enough to study his surroundings in some detail, trying to make sense of the perfume-like scent in the air and the silken tapestries that adorned various walls, along with the pillowed divans and other examples of fabulous wealth worthy of a Turkish seraglio. He could make out the wooden walls, floor and ceiling and from that construed that he was in some sort of structure like a ship's cabin or stateroom, and that the rolling sensation that he was feeling was not just the product of his senses reeling.

That meant a ship of some kind...and there was that which was disturbingly familiar about the architecture that brought nagging suspicions to the foreground.

"Oboy," he murmured faintly, sensing instantly that he was in a LOT of serious trouble!

The girl giving him head paused just long enough to say, "My words exactly," then she climbed up off of his lap and started to crawl over and straddle him, giving Ranko a full look at her tiger-striped body, fully naked now with no shorts and vests to obscure the beauty of her fur-coated body.

"H-H-Huh?" Ranko gasped, "Chesh-MMMPH!" he gasped as the Pokegirl blocked off further speech with a kiss that was both passionate and horny, a tongue soon thrust into his mouth to give testament as to just how turned on and aroused she was, and how much she needed him to respond to her like a lover.

Ranko considered refusing the offer...after all, she had only just met this strange cat-like girl, and she was also a sister, however screwed up the timeline or dimensions. Of course Ranko was no stranger to making it with a Paratime sister, and this girl obviously needed it bad, so he pretended like he was back in the house of the Miroku, where screwing a sibling was considered nothing more than practice, and soon he was giving this hungry, passionate and altogether DESIRABLE girl his best efforts at pleasuring her...and it did not take long to discover that just about everything he tried was pleasing to her system. Another time, and given a pause to reflect upon his actions, Ranko might have realized the mistake that he was making, but as he could think of no good way to turn down the heat at this point he did as the Pokegirl urged him and was soon rolling her onto her back so that he could mount her directly, plunging his stiff cock into her and pumping her like an oil well. He made sure to caress the sensitive nerve clusters that he had been taught to use to bring a female lover to heightened arousal, but it was like throwing kerosene on a fire as this girl needed no encouragement to wrap her legs around Ranko and trap him in her embrace. Damn but she was strong! Riding her was like riding a literal tigress, and she was so sensitive to everything he tried, her fur acting to intensify the effect of his caresses as he skillfully played her into an intensive state of maximum feminine pleasure. Being part girl himself, Ranko knew exactly how much pressure to use, how hard to stroke and thrust with his loins, and just when to give his hips an extra pivot to swivel his "stick" inside her sensitive love box. She was arching her back and crying out like an animal in no time, and then he felt her loins clench hard around his member and felt his own jism spurt into her with a rush of fulfillment. She milked him hard until there was nothing left to yield, and then she quieted down somewhat and mewed softly in satisfaction, only pausing for a little bit to regain her breath before urging him to go at it again with renewed appetite and ardor.

"Mmmmrrrrrreeeooowwwlll..." she growled in triumphant relish as she looked up at him with her furry face flush with wonder and excitement, but then she shocked Ranko by moaning out the word, "Mmmmaster..."

"H-Huh?" Ranko blinked, "M-Master?"

That was all that he was able to get out of her for the next several minutes, but in that time Ranko went all out and found himself being drained far worse than in any sparring match that he had been through lately. This girl was inexperienced but had an instinct to rut that would have put to shame a Miroku, and with the raw animal power at her disposal it was all his guy-form could do to keep up with her demands. All too soon he found that he was beginning to tire, and for the first time he felt the urge to roll over and pretend to go to sleep like some guys were reputed to do, anything to discourage her from demanding more sex before he was ready!

"Need an assist?" someone asked, and before Ranko knew what was happening he felt hot water being poured over his head, and suddenly she was back to her real form, causing her to gasp out a loud, "Whaaat...?"

"Sorry, Oneechan," Meiko smiled down at her, "I would have come and helped you sooner but I had trouble convincing the captain that we were on the level. Since I knew from my own memories of the past that you and Cheshire were gonna have your first-ever meeting here, I just thought it was the right time to change you back so you can finish Taming her, then we can get back to our quest without further interruptions."

"Taming?" Ranko asked, then her eyes screwed up and she made a very different sound as Cheshire attacked her once again with renewed ardor, the Pokegirl having only paused in confusion at the change in the sex of her partner, but far from discouraged once she made the appropriate adjustments.

"Thought you'd have a better chance of surviving it as a girl," Meiko replied, already heading for the exit while Ranko found herself once more being pressed down by a hungry wildcat, "I'll come back and check on you two in a bit, but until then have fun, and don't do anything I wouldn't be doing in your place." Ranko was more than a little perturbed about the cheerful laughter of her ounger sister, but at the moment she had a literal Tigress by the tail, and with her strength renewed she was ready to give back as good as she was being given. It was a matter of Saotome pride, after all, and-guy or girl-Ranko never shrank from a challenge. So she endured the heavy tongue-lashing of the Pokegirl as Cheshire's roughened tongue played with her nipples then floated down her belly before going for the prize by eating Ranko out and thensome.

Only when the Pokegirl relented for a bit and created an opening for Ranko to exploit did she get to turn the tables and return the generous favor, and like that she flipped the other girl over once again and climbed atop of her, straddling her down before proceeding to work her over with a mouth that had honed its skills in the pelvises of some of the most wanton ladies in the known Multiverse.

It was not long after this that Cheshire once more experienced a series of intense orgasms, the more lingering and lasting the better until she was screaming and panting for more, then worked her way into a classic "69" position and gave a good accounting of herself with her Paratime sister-lover.

It was long past when they both drifted down to earth and snuggled in close to one another that someone else made their way into the chamber. For a time Ranko was too content to feel the closeness of the furry Cheshire against her body, but then she sensed that someone was watching them both, and only after deciding that she could not stand the suspense did she open her eyes and look up at the new arrival.

She started upright in shock and dismay as she saw her own face looking back down at her with a mildly perturbed expression. The redhead studying her was dressed in some manner of Chinese outfit but in all other ways appeared to be like a much, much older version of Ranko, possibly in her early thirties or late twenties, and regarding the two girls before her as though attempting to classify them by genus and species.

"So...it's true," she said, "You are Jusenkyo cursed, and you're one of my kids."

"P-P-Pop?" Ranko got up so fast that she left Cheshire mewing in complaint, the irrational urge to reach for something to cover herself leaving Ranko feeling twice as exposed as was actually the case.

"Guess I am...in a manner of speaking," the redhead replied, "Only not quite the Pop you're thinking about. My name is Saotome Ranma, and I'm the Captain of this vessel, the Tung Chao."

"Tung Chao?" Ranko started to relax a bit, but then she belatedly remembered what that was the other name for and said, "Captain?"

The redhead smiled, an oddly leering smile when compared to the expressions that Ranko knew from her father, "Most people call it the Worthless Piece of Junk, but I prefer the old name, it's a little more classy."

Ranko just goggled and said, "Y-You're the Captain?"

"That's right," the redhead continued to smile, a bit with rue and a bit sardonic, "And believe me, it wasn't my idea either, but once I defeated the previous owner the rights and title fell on me, so I get to play nursemaid and Pirate Queen on this Kami-forsaken floating brothel."

"B-But what happened to Madam Lao?" Ranko asked, only to give a start when a familiar woman stepped in with foam blue-green hair, wearing very little (if anything) more than a few simple silks and some ornaments and otherwise very much playing the part of a Harem slave girl.

"Did I hear someone mention me?" she asked with a smile that seemed both relaxed and casual...and yet also hinted at a certain feral hunger, "I used to go by that title, but I'm just as glad to be rid of it and to serve my Mistress as her First Mate and Chief of the Harem."

Ranko looked shocked as she turned back towards the nearest equivalent to her father, "You...got a Harem, Pop?"

The redhead actually looked embarrassed for a few seconds then shrugged, "I inherited a few things more besides the title to the ship and a symbiotic link to the Kraken, Kid. When I took over I was left minding the store with all these people who depend on me, so...what else was I to do? Seemed simple enough at the time to try and steer things one way...it just kind of took on a life of its own beyond that." "You seem awfully familiar with both this ship and its reputation, Saotome Ranko," Lao mused with a gentle, appreciative nod, "But given the story your sister told us about your travels, I suppose that is only to be expected. No doubt you are acquainted with different versions of me who are very much like what I was...commanding, authoritative and totally ruthless."

"Uh...yeah," Ranko nervously swallowed, altogether aware that she was standing naked inside the enchanted slaving vessel that was notorious on a thousand different versions of these very same High Seas, being eyed by a woman whom-in most of the incarnations that she had encountered-saw beautiful young girls like herself as nothing more than a prize to be hoarded and sold at her leisure...after a suitable period of methodical indoctrination...

"Well, you can relax on that count," Lao assured her, "I am not the one giving the orders here. That obligation falls upon your father, my beloved Mistress."

"And gee, ain't I the lucky dog?" the Captain smiled half-ironically then said, "Don't sweat it, Kid. You're not merchandise, at least not after the way that Meiko-chan talked up a storm about your mission. Hey, we even left you the magic pendant that's supposed to warp you lot out of here, taking some of my brood of kids with you. I ain't happy with the idea, of course, but if it's a matter of the fate of all reality and all that..."

Cheshire stirred at that moment, stretched and yawned, then looked at Lao and sat up with a most alarmed expression, "MREEOOWWW?"

"Huh?" Ranko turned around and stared at the furry Pokegirl, seeing that fur stand on end as she literally backed herself into a corner. "It seems that I am both known and remembered on the world that she comes from," Lao mused with a tinge of sadness, "Only the Lao she remembers was somewhat more ruthless and came to a very bad end. Proof that things could always be worse, I suppose, but I guess that's how it goes on certain timelines..." she shrugged a bit sadly.

"Mrrreeeoow?" the Pokegirl asked with a note of confusion.

"What's wrong?" Ranko asked, "Why she talk normally?"

"Her companion explained it to us," the Captain replied, "Some kind of physiological state she called Threshold madness...or something like that."

"On her reality women appear to be engineered with a genetic flaw that grants them extraordinary abilities at a terrible price," Lao explained, "Either they are born as what are termed 'Pokegirls' or they revert to that state sometime after puberty, at which point they undergo Threshold Madness. Being that she was born a Pokegirl the condition is far less dramatic, but keeping her state under control requires regular hormonal treatments, some sort of prescription drug that she normally carries with her to maintain stability so that she does not revert to a Feral state. Fortunately-or unfortunately-there is one cure for her affliction, but it requires the cooperative assistance of another party."

"Sex is the cure for her affliction," the Captain explained, "Loud, vigorous and messy sex can keep her stable and avoid her going totally Feral. Of course her vocal chords are temporarily frozen as her body adjusts to some internal changes in her biochemistry, but you kept her stable, and that's something to be proud about, young lady."

"I...?" Ranko blinked, "Wait a minute...sex is the way to keep her from reverting to...what kind of state again?"

Lao glanced at her Mistress and smirked, "She's your daughter all right, there's no denying that..." "Yeah, well, genetics, what can you do about it?" the Captain shrugged,

"Of course, according to Colt, there is a downside to what you two just did together. You Tamed her...that is, you bonded with her while having sex, and now you're officially her Tamer until further notice."

Ranko blinked again then said, "Tamed her?"

"You're her Master now...or Mistress," Lao gave an ironic smile at that, "With you Saotomes one title is as good as another...right, Master?"

"I'd prefer it if you call me Airen in front of the kid," the Captain replied.

"But of course, Airen," Lao said the word with a smile that showed complete and utter devotion, adding in a sensual purr, "She who freed me from the curse that afflicted me for so many years, she who is my knight in shining armor, who grants me liberty and enslavement, who fondly holds the reins over my savage disposition so that I do not revert to the monster that I once was..."

"You still go Tiger when the kids want to ride on your back," the Captain pointed out.

"Well, there is that..." Lao shrugged as though the matter were a mere trifle.

"Uh...wait a minute here," Ranko's mind was whirling with the new data that she had to absorb, staring at the now-calm Cheshire once again before saying, "I'm...your what?"

"Mmmmasssster," the Pokegirl managed to say, then she tried again and said, "Mmmmisssstresss..."

"But...but I...!" Ranko started to protest when it hit her like a wave, an overwhelming sense of empathic bonding that made her completely aware of the other girl's state of mind and body, causing her to feel the rush of a pulsebeat that was not her own, of yearnings and desires that were strong and growing stronger by the instant, even of a desire for renewed sex that was only slightly diminished by all the vigorous activity that they had been undergoing for the past two hours or so.

"Congratulations!" Meiko's voice startled her as her sister strode boldly into the room wearing next to nothing at all besides a thin gold chain that supported some wispy silk strips over her loins, which concealed nothing of importance, "You finally tamed her. Now Cheshire is your Pokegirl and you get to have your own personal assistant, Sis, just like I knew was gonna happen."

"Huh?" Ranko whirled around, "You...knew this was gonna happen?"

"Hey," Meiko shrugged her shoulders, completely immodest about the way this caused her breasts to jiggle, "I would have warned you but you know what the rules on continuity are. Directly interfering in your own past is tricky business, and if I'd said or done anything to prevent it then the whole structure of my reality would have fallen apart, and I'd have wound up a completely different person. This way I know that you've got a loyal friend who'll always watch out for your back and who was always nice to me growing up, and Cheshire here gets to have a decent Tamer who can look after her and keep her out of trouble."

Ranko was still attempting to process this when two more girls entered the room, this time far less familiar. One of them had shockingly reddish-pink hair, the other one had hair that was salt-peter streaked with white and black lines, giving her a curiously tigerish look very similar to that of Cheshire. The former girl was a complete stranger, but the latter was somehow disturbingly familiar and set off alarm bells in the back of her head. She knew that she had encountered this girl from somewhere before, but at the moment her mind was too much in a whirl for her memories to clarify which timelines.

"So, you're the merry leader of the band we rounded up," said the latter girl as she eyed Ranko in a way that a hungry cat would eye a mouse, "What a shame you don't get to stay...I'd love to spend time getting to know you better."

"And you'd make a fine addition to our crew," the Cherry-pink haired girl agreed before saying, "You want us to gather them up, Pop? Because the crew is still having a going-away party in their honor." "We'll be along shortly enough, Amber," the Captain replied, "Let the girls have their fun. From the sound of things, it's gonna be rough where they're headed."

"Shame we're not going to make any profits off this cruise," the tigerish girl remarked as she continued to eye Ranko with a leer that bespoke of claim rights and liberties that were intended to be enforced very shortly, "Because I think these two would bring a fine price in the ports of Singapore..."

"Now now, Tyger," Lao gently chided, "Selling sisters into bondage is expressly contrary to the wishes of your father. I know how much the idea excites you sometimes, but until you are captain of the POJ you'll have to content yourself with training and conditioning them to be good little submissives."

"I know, Mother," the girl named Tyger purred, "But a girl can dream, can't she?" With a soft chuckle she leaned up against her Cherry-haired sibling, who did not seem to mind at all the familiar way in which Tyger put an arm around her waist and leaned against her, using her other hand to fondle a bared breast. Ranko bit her tongue to repress a soft groan.

Of course...now she remembered where she had seen that other girl before! Tyger Tiger, daughter of Madam Lao, and here was yet another incarnation of the Princess of Shinobi Bondage whom she had encountered before on at least three other alternate timelines, and not always under the friendliest of circumstances. The next moment she became aware that Cheshire was sliding her arms around her waist and rubbing her naked body up against her own, and Ranko swallowed, very much reminded that she had somehow won a very different kind of convert to her cause, the long-term implications for which she steadfastly refused to even consider at that particular moment...

"Much as we'd like to stay, guys," Meiko apologized for the both of them, "We do have to get going, and the longer we delay the more the Multiverse will be in peril and all that. Let's gather up the Posse and get dressed before we head on out of here or else that Pendant of yours will transport us naked to wherever it is we're going next."

"Uh...right," Ranko replied, trying to urge the Pokegirl from drawing her back down to the silk cushions and pillows for another round of what they referred to as "Taming." She was similarly trying very hard not to **notice** the other naked girls in the room as Meiko herself was proving to be a powerful distraction, and while Ranko was no stranger to sharing affections with a Paratime sister, she did not exactly feel good about screwing around with a girl who might appear to be her own age but who was supposed to be no more than eleven! As for Amber and Tyger...well...giving into temptation there was bound to have its own brand of perils!

They left the Captain's cabin and proceeded down a stairway leading to one of those endlessly long corridors that the enchanted ship seemed to possess beyond all reason. Within minutes they arrived at a larger cargo-sized chamber that was reserved for the offspring of the Harem, and after sliding the doors wide to view the contents within Ranko felt another wave of dismay mingled with nostalgia.

The perfume-like odor was really intense here, and the view inside reminded her very much of the House of the Miroku. A full-blown orgy was in progress, nearly exclusively female with only one guy in a separate corner being attended to by a half a dozen randy females.

That guy, of course, was Tsuyoma, and not very far away from him both of his sisters were being "attended to" by their own affectionate admirers. Lots of heavy "Taming" was certainly in progress here, and with a liberal use of sex-toys like strap-on devices. One girl was bent down over a bench with her head and hands in a brace while another girl was doing her from behind while yet another girl was underneath the bent-over girl giving affectionate attention to her breasts as the girl being humped could only groan and beg for more of such treatment.

"Sure brings back memories, huh Sis?" Meiko whispered into Ranko's ears, and suddenly the redhead was both enormously curious and dreading to know the exact implications contained within that statement.

"Mreow?" Cheshire murmured at Ranko's other shoulder, sounding very much intrigued and even more turned on at the sight of the writhing naked bodies strewn all about the chamber.

"Home sweet home," Tyger said slyly, leaning up closer to Ranko and Meiko and giving both girls an affectionate pat on their bare rears, "Why not come inside and join the fun? It's better than cumming on the outside..."

Ranko yelped a bit at the squeezing of her rump while Meiko just turned a smirk towards the taller girl and said, "That's not a melon you're squeezing, you know..."

Amber just groaned softly, "Sister, you are incorrigible."

"So don't encourage me already," the girl with the striped hair purred in sensual hunger, "Besides, you know I like to do it with lots of rope as my favorite sex-toy. After all, a girl in restraints can scream a lot more, and you can do so much more with her when she can't struggle and fight back..."

"Let's just go in there and sort the bodies out by type, shall we?" Captain Ranma said in faint resignation.

"Now Airen," Lao gently chided, "You know the girls are just having some harmless fun with the new faces."

"It's not their faces I'm worried about," the Captain said as he surveyed the insides with a faint mix of resignation and exasperation.

"Okay," Meiko said, once more taking the lead for her sister, who was still trying to sort her way through the conflicting emotions that she was feeling, "Let's pick out our own people and pry them away from their new buddies. Might help if somebody had a crowbar..."

"Oh, I never use the rough stuff myself," Tyger replied, "It's far too messy."

Finding their missing companions proved not to be too difficult a problem, even in a sea of dimly lit faces and flawlessly perfect bodies moving together in a sensuous sea of feminine pulchritude, but convincing their new friends to separate from their new friends proved to be somewhat more...problematic.

Honeysuckle was not at all happy about having to extricate herself from a lesbian love-chain that she had become a part of, having her loins be licked and suckled by another girl with enormous melons for breasts while she herself was eating out a girl sitting on her face, and each of her own breasts were in turn being suckled upon by a pair of exotic-looking blue-skinned women who seemed to really know their business.

Similarly Leona did not appear to be in any hurry to be let out of the stocks in which she had been bent over into for the past hour or so being "punished" by two of the locals.

Maya seemed to be conducting her own worship-service with a gaggle of devoted acolytes who freely gave the sensuous girl their full and utter devotion, while off to the side the newcomer, Valda, was making out like there was no tomorrow with a green-haired cutie who seemed even wilder than Cheshire in her lovemaking.

Reiko was crying out for mercy while two girls took great delight in tickling and sucking on her bare feet while plying her skin with a pair of frilly pink and blue feathers, and Yui was very much into the action with three women sharing her body, giving back as good as she got despite her normal "Ice Maiden" appearance.

About the only member of their group who was not immediately present was Colt, but some inquiries as to her location turned up a rather surprising discovery, and after hunting her down in the next room they found a group of older and more mature women giving the Centauress their combined and quite expert attention.

Ranko, who by now was quite exhausted with having to pry apart reluctant partners from their fun, just stood in the doorway and said faintly, "I think I'm gonna faint now..."

"Whoah," Meiko was more round-eyed as she stared at the sight before them, "Am I imagining things or did she actually get her whole arm inside there?"

"Must be," Leona sounded more than faintly disturbed, "Considering the size of her flanks, it would take a pretty big...you know...to do that..."

"You'd have to be hung like a horse you mean," Salon mused before giving her brother a wry look, "Give you any ideas, Tsuyoma-chan?"

"H-Huh?" the exhausted boy asked in confusion. "Mmmmrrr...Colt..." Cheshire managed to purr out the word, "Loookssss like you'rrrre innn gooood handssss, yesssss..."

"Vocal chords are starting to unclench, huh?" Amber mused, "Guess that means you'll be talking normally in another few minutes."

"Okay, break it up, everyone take a powder," the Captain called out, causing the older women to pout and look towards their Mistress with sadness and disappointment. "But Ranchan," one of these twenty-something (or older?) women complained, "We were just having a bit of fun seeing which of us could get it in the deepest..."

"I know, and no harm done," the Captain sighed before glancing at Ranko, "See what I have to go through in order to keep this place in some kind of order? Nothing but work, work, work all day long, and I never get a break from the action, nosirree. Sometimes I wonder who the slave is here and who exactly is the Mistress."

"You are, of course, my darling Ranma-sama," said a familiar dark-haired girl with an aristocratic smile plain on her features, turning to eye the other assembled kids with a look of interested...speculation. "You're the top dog with us, Ranma-kun," said another familiar looking woman whose short brown hair was in a familiar pageboy setting, "Right Oneechan?"

"Oh my, yes," said a fourth extremely familiar looking and agelessly beautiful woman. "Airen is always in charge as far as this one is concerned," cooed a purple haired woman who needed no introduction. There were other faces present, some familiar, some not so familiar, but it left Ranko's mind awhirl with the full implications of what she was seeing even as Meiko said, "All of these are your wives, Dad?" "Well...most of them are either wives or concubines or hangers-on or what-have- you," the Captain shrugged, "Don't ask me how I gathered them all up on this ship, they just seemed to show up one right after the other, and before you knew it I was breaking them into the saddle..."

"Which reminds me," Lao glanced around then said, "I wonder where Blossom and Lotus are at, to say nothing of your mother's equivalent..." "Someone talking about me?" a mature version of Tendo Akane appeared from down the corridor, and unlike the other women present she was dressed in some manner of military uniform and carried a sword at her hip, looking hardened and ready for action, "Now what's this about me having kids by the Captain?"

"Ah..." Ranko said as she turned around and came face-to-face with this equivalent of her mother, seeing not recognition in the older woman's eyes but a note of caution and curiosity, not to mention a certain wary apprehension.

"Lieutenant," the Captain addressed this woman directly, "Sorry to call you away from your duties, but I thought maybe you'd like to meet the newest passengers on our ship. Seems they come from different timelines, and on the one where these two came from...um...well, seems like you and I were...married." "Married?" the woman scowled, "Is this another trick to get me into your bed, Captain?"

"No, no, no!" the Captain hastily waved her hands in denial, "I know you're happy enough where you are and all that, and I've got no complaint with the way your Marines are handling their duties..."

"Fine," the Lieutenant said crisply and decisively, turning her focus back on Ranko and Meiko, "So...another dimension, huh? And you're supposed to be my daughters?"

"Um...that's right," Meiko said a bit shyly before adding, "Mother."

A faint smile crossed the older woman's lips before she said, "Well, don't expect any special treatment out of me. I run a tight operation down below, and no kid of mine will get off without doing her full share and pulling her weight around here, so...do what the Captain tells you and we'll both be happy. If he decides to give you over to me...well...the Marines are a good career move, and there's lots of room for advancement if you've got what it takes and can play your cards right."

"Er...right," Ranko swallowed, suppressing the urge to salute this woman since she reminded her a little too much of some of Ranko's Cadet Majors back in the Time Patrol Academy. She privately wondered if all drill sergeants read from the same script or something...

"Unfortunately they won't be staying," the Captain informed his lieutenant.

"Oh?" the uniformed Akane replied with a lifted eyebrow, "You've got a buyer lined up with them already?"

"Not...exactly," Lao spoke up for her chagrined Mistress, "It would take too long to explain, though, so maybe you should just hang back and save the debriefing part for later."

"Fine with me," Akane replied, and at once fell into parade rest with hands clasped behind her back and feet planted shoulders-width apart.

"Ah...Pop?" Ranko motioned the older woman off to the side then leaned closer, "Could you mind explaining this to me? I mean...you got to be captain of this ship...how?"

"I beat Lao in a fight hands down," the Captain shrugged, "It was right after Pop and me left central China, while we were trying to get away from Shampoo over there. We needed to find a boat that could get us back to Japan, or so we thought that was what we were doing, and trust the old Panda to get us booked on a slaver vessel..."

"Oh, right," Ranko nodded, making perfect sense out of that explanation. "Well, seems the Captain had other ideas and thought I was just some cute girl with her pet panda who could be trained and sold somewhere, but I got loose from my bonds and challenged her to a fight, and...well..." the older redhead shrugged, "You know what she turns into thanks to her Jusenkyo curse?"

Ranko mutely nodded, fully understanding this point as she replied, "The Nekoken?"

"Yeah," Ranma sighed, "I went Neko and beat her...wasn't easy to do. I mean, she's as tough as they come in a fight, but I managed to pin her down and get her to say Uncle. Next thing I know I'm married to the lady and she's calling me her Airen, and I've just become the de facto captain of this bloody ship, with all that it implies including a mental link to the big guy down below decks," she pointed downward, and Ranko again understood implicitly what that meant, and shuddered.

"But...Pop...you're a Slaver?" Ranko blurted.

"Wasn't exactly like I meant for that to happen," Ranma said in obvious discomfort, "Hell, when I took over I tried to free the slaves and let everybody go. Turns out no dice...the ship wouldn't let me." "Wouldn't...let you?" Ranko repeated.

"The Undines I mean," Ranma explained, "They're bound to the ship, the souls of every woman who died here over the last eight hundred years or so. They're the permanent crew in charge of running everything, and they're really not that bad a lot for the elementally trapped spirits of dead people." "Okay," Ranko replied, "The Undines I can understand, but...why the others?"

"Well," Ranma ran fingers through her red hair and looked faintly tired, "Turns out Lao did a pretty good job of conditioning her people to total loyalty and obedience. Turns out most of them refused to get let out of their contracts and volunteered to stay here and serve me and all that. A few I did manage to let go, mainly the recent converts and the ones who had lives back on shore that they wanted to get back to. I did what I could to make it up to them for the inconvenience, but that just left me with a sex-crazed crew of hardened lesbians with Amazon training, and that's a pretty dangerous combination, let me tell you. Just having to feed and house most of them can take a small fortune..."

"And you turned to slavery to foot the bills?" Ranko asked.

"Didn't start out like that," Ranma shrugged, "At first I tried legitimate means like shipping cargo and acting like a ferry service for people who wanted to avoid normal handling charges. I tried to do things above-board, but some of the customers I had to deal with...were more than a little shady. Before I knew it I got myself in over my head and had to rely on Lao here to advice me on the best way of getting out of that mess, and by then I had a bunch of Interpol arrest warrants out for me on a complete misunderstanding, and that led to a series of other problems too numerous to mention."

"In other words," Meiko joined in, "You found out Lao's way was the lesser of two evils."

"It started when these three girls from Interpol staged a raid on my ship and tried to take some of my crew hostage to force me to surrender," Ranma sighed, "We subdued them, but then the question was what to do about those girls...Rose, Chun-Li and Cammy were their names, real tough fighters, hard, dedicated. Turns out one of them had ties to Shadowloo, but we didn't find that out until later. The point is...I let Lao have her way with them, and before you knew it they were singing her praises and swearing loyalty to me and all that. They were the first girls I actively recruited into my Harem, and you can see them over there smiling at me now like they plan to drag me off somewhere and do unspeakable things to me or something..."

"My girls," Lao said proudly, "Taught them everything they know. Before they knew me they were complete virgins."

"So, that kind of was like the camel's nose inside the tent," Ranma continued, "But what got the rest of the camel to follow was when Pop managed to get loose and swam to shore, got back to Japan and then told an old friend of his about some cock-and-bull story about me being kidnapped by pirates. That's how my Mom and the Tendo girls wound up here, along with Ucchan and Kodachi and a bunch of others. Shampoo was Lao's idea on account of how she's her cousin..."

"So, you wound up with your own harem, eh?" Meiko said wryly, "But that doesn't explain the slavery part..." Ranma just sighed, "Do you know how much it costs to feed a crew this size? We were barely pulling in any profit, in spite of the massive cargo space that we could handle. Too many damned ports wouldn't deal with an infamous pirate vessel like ours no matter how much we lowered our rates...and then Nabiki came along and put things back in financial order."

"Aunt Nabiki?" asked Honeysuckle, who-along with the others-were now crowded around to hear the rest of this story.

"Mmmmy mmmmommm...?" Cheshire managed to growl out with a note of interest.

"Once she understood the working principles of how this ship operates she was just full of ideas to turn it into a profitable operation," Ranma explained, "Before we had a lot of human cargo that we smuggled dirt-cheap, mostly refugees from Asia who only wanted a good life somewhere. The problem was finding a place that would take them in since most countries have pretty tight immigration policies, and with all the messes there are in the world, it just didn't seem humane to turn them away, know what I mean?"

"So you selectively singled out the best looking women among those refugees and trained them to be slaves...and sold them to interested buyers who might give them decent homes and useful lives, Father?" the girl named Tyger asked with a sly look as if already knowing the answer.

"Ah...that's kind of how it turned out, yeah," Ranma sheepishly glanced down, "I ain't proud of it or nothing, but...well...I don't deal with the bad types who brutalize or misuse the girls I sell, and Lao handles all of the training and stuff. I just kind of act as CEO and let Nabiki handle the accounting..."

"I cannot believe what I am hearing," Sometra averred, "My father would never condone piracy and slavery...it's inhuman!"

"Seems pretty human and humane to me," Valda remarked, "But it is kind of...weird...I mean, my Dad's pretty straight-laced, but my Mom..." she rolled her eyes towards the heavens.

"Um...shouldn't we, like, get dressed or something?" Honeysuckle spoke up with a noticeable reluctance, "I mean...it's been hours since we got here, but that pendant thing's bound to start acting up at any second..."

"Good point that," Maya remarked, "And wherever we wind up next, I would rather be clothed than be naked."

"That's a first for you," Leona snorted.

"Our clothing has been stored away for us," Yui spoke up, "I suggest that we retrieve it."

"Yeah," Reiko averred, "No since winding up somewhere in the buff if we don't have to..."

"That would be a novel change of pace," Ranko murmured faintly, hoping that no one asked her for further clarification.

Minutes later they were back in the same room where the orgy had been taking place, only now the teenaged girls who had taken part in the mass screwing were standing around wearing costumes that would be noted for their absence more any pretense at concealment, with more jewelry and ornaments on display than a Diamond House Jewelry exchange center, and everyone looking on with lustful gazes as the Posse retrieved their belongings and hastily began getting redressed.

"I don't get this," Salon said as she glanced over her shoulder at the very girls with whom she had been casually screwing not so very long before this moment, "Are all these yours, Dad? All of these are our sisters?"

"Well, more or less," the Captain shrugged, "It's kind of hard even for me to keep track any more, but since I'm one of only a handful of guys who can sex- change into a man, I guess you could say I did my part to proliferate the species. Of course, Lao keeps some Instant Nanniichuan water on hand, so some of these belong to her and several of the other girls who wanted to have a baby together. I try to accommodate, but it's not for nothing that there's an age limit of fourteen here with the other kids kept separate from these types of fun and games."

Honeysuckle shuddered as she looked away and averred softly, "I am never going to complain anymore that I've got too many mothers, brothers and sisters..."

"Nothing wrong with keeping a well-stocked Harem that I can see," Colt remarked as she hitched her only real belonging of any importance, a web-belt from which were suspended her two blasters, "Tamers do it all the time in our world. In fact, Chesh here was part of a large clutch owned by her father, my master, Breeder Saotome Ranma."

"Mrowl...yessss..." Cheshire smiled as she slipped on her shorts and vest, "It'sss a sssign of virility...to belong to a large clutcccchhh...and my Dad'ssss the best Tamer around...exxxxcept for you, my Masssster." She deliberately rubbed hips with Ranko, who found herself without an adequate thing to say about the matter.

"Do you really have to go?" asked one of the blue skinned girls, "Oh father...please say that we can play with them some more..."

"Oh yes!" a girl with long brown hair cried eagerly, "It's been so long since we've had anyone this exciting to play with..."

"Now girls," Lao softly chided, "You have your chores to tend to, and a Harem doesn't run itself on lust alone. We'll find something to keep the rest of you occupied for later. Now...where is Breeze at? She should be tending to these wild scallions of ours..."

"I can find her for you if you want, Mother," said the cherry-pink haired Amber.

"Never mind, I'm sure she'll turn up sooner or later," Ranma noted, "Don't forget she's got a Harem of her own to take care of, and a husband who'll be expecting her to drop by the next time we visit his island."

"This...certainly has been an eye-opening experience," Tsuyoma noted as he finished putting on his own clothes, pausing to glance at the women he had been making out with before adding, "Um...are you sure some of these are my sisters?"

"What's the matter, Big Boy?" Valda purred, "You got something against doing it with your sisters?" "Um...well..." Tsuyoma winced.

"He's fine just as he is," Sometra frowned, "And leave my brother out of this, you Hentai. I don't know what came over us just now...we must have taken leave of our senses or something, because if our parents ever find out what we did..."

"You planning on telling them?" Salon asked.

"I sure won't!" Leona avowed, "Knowing my mothers, they'd be pestering me for all the kinky little details..."

"Oh really?" Maya asked, considering the point, "Perhaps your parents have much in common with my own, though if anything I doubt my mother would be so approving."

"So, we all set and ready to leave already?" Reiko asked, "Because as much fun as this has been, I sure don't relish the idea of Dad finding out what we've been up to, do you, Sis?"

"It would not be something to look forward to," Yui mildly replied, "But knowing our mother, they are bound to find out one way or the other..."

"Well, it's sure been swell guys," Meiko grinned as she waved at the assorted girls that comprised this junior wing of the Harem, "We gotta do this again sometime...in fact, I'm counting on it next time Sis and me swing through this time zone."

Ranko looked at Meiko and asked, "Just who the heck has been raising you all these years, and what have you been getting into?"

"You don't expect me to answer that with a straight face, now do you, Oneechan?" Meiko winked, even as the sound of her words started to come as though from a farther distance than was actually the case, and then Ranko noticed that their surroundings were starting to fade out from them altogether.

"Here we go again," Honeysuckle winced as she noticed the same shifting phenomenon affect herself and the others.

"Hey...are we coming along with you?" said Amber as she stared at her own hand, then at Tyger Tiger, who likewise was becoming no less transparent.

"So, we're in for this as well?" Tyger seemed amused at the prospect, turning a speculative glance towards Ranko before adding, "How very...interesting..."

And then the shift happened once again, leaving Ranko to murmur to herself, "Why am I so lucky...?"

Continued. Comments/Criticisms/Serial Climaxes: shadowmane

It's everyone versus Celestine, so why doesn't he look worried? Find out next time in: "Shifty Business," or, "Pardon Me While I Gift-Wrap My Sisters!" Be there! X -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: ~ All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	17. Chapter 17

**RanWarp17 **

**Realities Warped! **

**By Jim Robert Bader **

**(Inspired by the works of Rumiko **

**Takahashi and other artists too numerous to mention. The Characters Chakar **

**Shadowmane and Garimel Shalestar, however, were created by me, while Trella (RA **

**Curtis) provided some of the characters and ideas that appear within this **

**chapter, based on her series "Aiyaa, My Goddess!" and inspired by the fanfics **

**authored by Gregg Sharp, Steve Thesken, Andy Kent and other such creative **

**talents to whom no blame and/or credit can be attributed. Use is prohibited by **

**the Yggdrasil board of regents, Copyrights belong to original authors, and those **

**who violate said author's due rights will have a Skuld-bomb dropped in through **

**their onlines. You have been duly warned!) **

**Chapter Seventeen. **

**Walkabout **

**Continuum #52413783**

**Gate of Ashkalon**

**"Please understand that I cannot let you harm him," the Goddess informed us in that eerie, ethereal, almost monotone voice that tells me she's not fully conscious of her own actions, "Celestine is very important to me and I cannot allow you to stand in his way or interfere with his program."**

**"Belldandy!" Peorth cries in shock, "Have you gone mad? That monster is about to open the gates wide open and let the Things into this continuum, and you know what that will mean if we allow this to happen!"**

**"Nothing of that sort will happen," Celestine stated flatly, "Everything has been carefully taken into consideration. I have only to restabilize this file and the matrix will reassert itself, with or without your cooperation."**

**"Don't listen to him, Goddess!" I call out as I fight to free myself from the mad god's entrapment, even as Saotome himself is struggling against the containment field that's holding him in stasis, "He doesn't know what he's doing! No one, god or man, can control the forces that he's trying to wield, and if he tells you otherwise he's deceiving the both of you...!"**

**"I am sorry, but I do not believe you," Belldandy says in perfect sincerity, "Celestine is a wonderful man who taught me everything that I know about being a goddess. I owe him my trust and my loyalty, and so I must protect him against your efforts."**

**"You can't mean that, Bell!" Peorth insists, "He's just using you like he did before! What he's **

**attempting to do now defies logic and reason..."**

**"Not so," Celestine replies, "I have perfected my formula and this time there will be no mistakes..."**

**"Do you hear that, Belldandy?" I counter, "He said this time...but what about the last time he tried that? What about the world you originally came from? What about the people whose lives were irrevocably altered because he tampered with forces that even the gods should leave alone?"**

**I see my words have an effect on her this time, and for a fraction of an instant doubt and uncertainty appear upon her normally serene features as she hesitantly says, "I..." **

**"Belldandy," Celestine speaks to her with a certain insinuating tone in his voice that I find particularly irksome, "You know me, you know that I would never betray your trust. I would never do anything to harm you or anyone else if it could be avoided. Believe in what I am doing, believe in the necessity, and know that I will deliver on all of my promises."**

**"I...I believe you," Belldandy becomes calm once again, then she raises her hands and says, "And I will help you to achieve this!" Her voice rises in a lilting tone and I can literally feel the energy level rise as manna lines bend to her will and she summons in powers the likes of which even a Starlord as old as me have to respect: "Spirits of Sky and Earth, Fire and Water, Mothers and Fathers of Heaven and Earth, heed me! I call down the light from above to extinguish the darkness That threatens to surround us, and in the forge of eternity I cast these lines to bind and gather all nature to this, The Instrumentality of Judgement..."**

**"Bell, no!" I can sense Peorth's alarm even as I hear it in her voice and I imagine her expression has gone from shock to horrified outrage, "If you join your powers to him you'll be casting aside everything that you believe in, all that you're sworn to uphold as a goddess!" **

**"Then she sides with the destiny that I will create here," Celestine replies with perfect calm, as if no other alternative view should even be considered, "It is a destiny which you should welcome as much as she does, Peorth-chan. After all, you as much as anyone should wish for success in my mission."**

**"What are you talking about?" Peorth asks, mirroring my own confusion, "I could never support what you are doing, Celestine!"**

**"Oh no?" the renegade god asks with a faint smile, "Think well before leaping to that conclusion, Goddess. You have been with the system for merely a few centuries...I have been with it almost since the time of the beginning. I know from where I speak when I say that this wreck of a universe is well past the time for a cleansing. I will give the people here what they yearn and aspire towards...a chance at a brighter and better future. There will be no sadness, poverty or meaningless death in the new order, and everyone will have the chance to live their lives out to the fulfillment of their potential..."**

**"I thought you were gonna limit that potential so nobody tries to get more than his fair share," I ask narrowly, not-so-subtly challenging the validity of his Utopian vision. "No one will want or need more than his share when I am through remaking the cosmos," Celestine insists, "It will be a world were lovers can live out their dreams, where happiness will be found for the asking. Believe me, I know the where from which I speak when I say that the obscenity that is this gate behind me will be a thing of the past when I am through. The gods will no longer test mortals to see if they are worthy of an eternity of bliss. They will have bliss and contentment **

**and such joy as you can only imagine in your fondest dreams..."**

**"More like my worst nightmares," I respond, "I'm too old for fairy tales with happy endings **

**that last forever. You can't have a life without some struggle and adversity, some challenge to overcome, and the universe can only evolve itself if people have goals to live for..."**

**"Goals that very few, if ever, are realized in a single mortal lifetime," Celestine says in a softly worded tone that could just as well be a sneer for all the warmth I hear in it, "Or an immortal lifetime for that matter, as you should know, Peorth...or you did know on the timeline you and Belldandy shared together."**

**"W-What?" Peorth blinked, "Where we...?"**

**"You don't remember that world, but I do," Celestine continues, "You were both so young and two of my finest students, though Belldandy clearly was the better of you both. At first you resented her for that, but then you came to see the gentle, loving person that she truly is, and you became enamored of her charming spell, and before too long you both experimented with your immortal bodies, testing the bounds of sisterhood and friendship with a love that glowed so bright as to fill the very heavens..."**

**"We...what?" Peorth sounds even more stunned by this than I would have imagined. "Don't you remember, Peorth?" Belldandy smiles with that ghostly, ethereal look of tenderness and sadness that I saw before when we were on Farhan's Starship, "The wonderful times we had together? The moments we shared when it was just the two of us and the gardens all around us? How I miss those times so dearly, the way you could make me laugh, the little things about **

**you that fascinated me for hours..."**

**"I...I..." the Rose Goddess stammers, while I'm fighting with my baser reflexes trying very hard not to imagine what it was like for those two divine beauties.**

**"But then...we parted ways..." Belldandy's radiant joy crumbled into misery and sadness, "You were assigned to a different sector, and for the longest time I did not understand why we could no longer be together. It was only when Celestine awoke in me the memories of what had happened that I realized that we were parted for a reason."**

**"Which is?" I ask, already suspecting that I was not going to like this.**

**"Our superiors thought that I was being too tolerant and indulgent with my charges," Celestine replied, "They said that their romance was interfering with their studies, the sterile old prudes. They thought it best if Peorth and Belldandy were given different assignments, even though I protested that it was wrong, that there was neither harm nor evil in your sharing warmth together. It was too soon, too premature a time in your lives, and I know that it badly affected your own training, Peorth-chan, and left you in misery to pick things up in time on your own with inferior teachers."**

**"But...that's not what happened!" Peorth protested, "Bell and I were friends, but...we were never all that close! Urd trained under the same teacher that I was assigned to, and I graduated in time with full honors..."**

**"Then I rest my case if you find any comparison between yourself and Urd as grounds for satisfaction," Celestine declares, and this time he doesn't bother to hide the snide tone of mockery in his voice, "But enough of this distraction. Belldandy, now is the time to put your spell into effect."**

**"Yes, of course," Belldandy said with serene calm, as though she had not stood there the whole time with her palms upraised controlling vast amounts of energy with the ease of a skilled spell weaver, intoning in a surprisingly forceful voice: "Spirits of All who breathe and yearn for Peace and Happiness, Come attend me now and join together to create a new order!" And like that the massive construct that she's been putting together all this time reaches up and joins with the swirling maelstrom above us, and like that one pattern swallows and enfolds the other, and suddenly the pyramid shape is reestablished, glowing full of light and manna energy and containing within it the bright stars of several dozen teenaged children.**

**"It is done!" Celestine's face is aglow with satisfaction, "Now I have only to set things in motion and this sorry Multiverse will be replaced with a new one...!"**

**"NOT...GONNA HAPPEN...!" I hear a snarl coming from Saotome's direction, and to my amazement and Celestine's we see the guy struggling to move, fighting against the tide of energy that's still holding him captive.**

**"How can you move, or even think?" I hear the man-god next to Bell ask like some cardboard villain from an old matinee set, "The field should be holding you fast...!"**

**"You caught me...napping...the last time," Ranma admitted, his fists moving by inches as he pushes against the tremendous pressure being exerted against him, "But I...always could adjust...to anything...with a little practice...!"**

**"Can it be that I have underestimated you?" Celestine asks with a raised eyebrow, then he dismisses the thought with a curt, "No matter...you are still far too late to prevent what has already been set into motion."**

**"Pardon me then if I try!" Ranma growled as he was pushing all out to counter the energies that were holding him in place, "Ain't no way I'm gonna let you have Nabiki...!"**

**"I regret that your wife's participation in this is critical and she cannot be spared," Celestine says as he starts making hand-motions in the air that signify he's crafting another set of program commands into the system, "But for what little it is worth, I am sorry that it must be this way. Her fate, and yours, was sealed the moment the powers that be declared you a Nexus..."**

**"NO!" Ranma's expression goes from anger to desperation, and then I see him turn away from the mad god to stare at the glowing woman near the center of the pyramid, and then he cries out desperate-like, "Nabiki! You've gotta pull yourself out of that mess! Wake up, dammit! BIKI! Open your eyes and look at me, you damned beautiful mercenary!"**

**No response, or even any evidence that his lady has heard him, but that's not going to deter this boy, no way. I feel for him big time as I hear his anger give way completely to desperation and longing as he cries out, "BIKI-WAKE UP, DAMN YOU! NABIKIIIIII-!" And then I feel it...the faintest flickering of the force, and I stare up at the near-naked short-haired girl and sense the slightest stirrings of awareness dawning there, and I begin to hope like hell that the big guy's efforts are starting to have an impact...**

**"nabiki...biki, wake up..."**

**"Don't...call me...'Biki..." she murmured faintly at the distant whisper of a voice in her ears, "Don't...call...me..."**

**"Mommy, I don't wanna wake up right now...gimme five more minutes?"**

**"No, Nabiki-chan, you know better than that. You have to get up if you're going to enjoy the lovely breakfast that I made you. Besides, you need to work some more on your naginata **

**practice, and your father won't be proud of you unless you show him what a big, strong girl you are and how much that you are growing..."**

**"Huh?" Nabiki opened her eyes and stared at the vision before her, at a familiar face looking down at her with tenderness and love, making her feel warm and happy inside, though she did not like to show it on the outside since Nabiki wanted to be proud and strong before her mother, much like she was with daddy.**

**"Come here, my dearest child," her mother reached down and lifted the tiny little Nabiki into her arms, cradling the seven-year old there as Nabiki yawned and stretched away her sleepiness, then endured to be carried to the bathroom to do her morning business, even though Nabiki grumbled under her breath, "Mommy, you don't have to carry me...I'm not a baby..."**

**"You are my baby, little one," her mother said tenderly as she set Nabiki down and started to unbutton the top part of her pajamas, "Now, be a good girl and hold still, I'll get the bath water started then we can share the furo together before your sisters come to use it."**

**"Why do I have to get up first before them?" Nabiki asked as she undressed herself and did her **business** on the potty-chair. "Because this is our special day together, silly," her mother said as she bent down next to the furo and started the water running, "I spend a special day with each one of you to see how much progress you are making. Yesterday it was Kasumi's turn, and tomorrow it will be Akane's...but today it's yours, and we'll start by working out in the dojo together, and then you can show me how much you've learned about your staff technique."**

**"All right, Mommy," Nabiki sighed in resignation, though secretly she loved their practice sessions together, loved getting the approval of her mother for when she performed a step well, or when she was doing her multiplication tables and could balance three figures in her head without effort. Her mother undressed and neatly folded her clothes to one side...but **

**then a very curious thing happened that startled little Nabiki and made her wonder if she were still asleep. For a moment there it had almost seemed as if her mother had been sporting a pair of wings upon her back, made evident by the removal of her robe, wings that made her mother seem almost like an angle before they disappeared altogether, making Nabiki wonder if they had been there in the first place... After washing up and dousing themselves with cold water the warm bath felt good, and they soaked in the furo for a time, just enjoying the morning and chatting away like it was every other morning that they did this together. Nabiki studied her mother's profile and wondered what seemed different about her this time around. Her mother was smiling and seemed radiantly happy, and yet when Nabiki turned to look she was astonished to see what looked like triangles on her mother's face, markings that appeared and disappeared so swiftly that she was left to wonder if she were suffering some sort of six-year **

**old hallucination.**

**Her mother then turned to her and said, "Tell me, little one...if you could be anything you wanted in this world...anything at all...what would you want?"**

**"What would I want?" Nabiki thought about it then smiled, "A million dollars!"**

**"A million dollars?" her mother arched an eyebrow at this, "American and not yen?"**

**"American dollars are worth more," Nabiki explained, "They're currency is more stable and doesn't fluctuate like ours all the time. It's backed by a stable Federal Reserve Bank, and even when times are bad they can always raise interest rates to keep their currency from sliding into **

**inflation."**

**Her mother actually blinked at this, then looked at Nabiki curiously before asking, "And how do you know this?"**

**"I read it in the newspaper that daddy likes to read, the business section," Nabiki said brightly, much impressed with herself that she had actually been able to follow the words in text as some had been very complicated, forcing her to rely heavily on a dictionary that she had borrowed from Kasumi.**

**Her mother actually blinked at this then said, "So young...and so very...well, now...aren't you the clever little girl," she brightened immediately, winking and eye before saying, "Let's keep this our little secret for now. But I'm curious, why would you wish for so much money?"**

**"So you and daddy never have to work for it ever again," Nabiki immediately replied, "So we can buy nice stuff and we can live in our house forever and ever."**

**"Forever and ever," her mother replied, and yet for some reason she seemed quite sad as she thought this over, as though she were pained by some unspoken knowledge. Nabiki wondered what could be making her mother so sad all of a sudden, but then she dismissed the thought from her mind and went on to enjoy the rest of her day, working out with her mother then coming back into the house to eat a good breakfast, even as Kasumi and Akane wandered in to enjoy their breakfast, and their daddy not long behind them...just like any other morning. But then the phone rang all of a sudden, and her mother went to answer it, and she stood there for a time speaking with the other party on the line. For some reason Nabiki found herself glancing curiously at her mother, but then she was surprised to see her mother lean against the wall, her shoulders slumping as though carrying some grave weight upon her back. Then her mother set **

**the phone down, and for a moment her face seemed positively ashen. By the time she returned to the table, however, her mother had brightened up again and was acting as if nothing unusual had happened. Nabiki's father asked the perfunctory question, "Who was that, dear?"**

**"Oh, nothing important," her mother had said with a calm that sounded actually quite ominous, "Just a nurse reminding me that I have an appointment this afternoon with my gynecologist." **

**"Oh," Soun Tendo replied, and promptly went back to reading his newspaper. A week later they got the grim news that her mother was quite ill, Ovarian cancer, words that made little sense at the time to Nabiki but which later she would learn was a major cause of death in women. Over the course of the next few months she watched this disease slowly eat away at her mother, making her wan and pale and not as cheerful as Nabiki could remember, until at last her mother was bedridden in a hospital and looking like a scarecrow.**

**Nabiki could hardly believe that she was looking upon the same woman, the one she once looked up to and admired so much, and yet who could barely lift a hand to give comfort to her children. Her final words had been a blessing, telling each girl to be strong and to look after their father, and then Kimiko Tendo had closed her eyes her eyes and seemed to go to sleep, and Nabiki had watched in fascination as her breathing became irregular, then shallow, then stopped altogether.**

**Though Kasumi and her father had tried to herd her out of there little Nabiki had stubbornly refused to leave, wanting to see if her suspicions had been confirmed, only to surrender at the last when no wings appeared, deciding in the end that she had imagined her mother as an angel, and thus she went to comfort Akane, who was crying like a little baby. But now Nabiki saw what she did not see before, even as her younger self turned away, the older Nabiki-with much more refined powers of vision-saw the almost invisible form of her mother slipping away from the mortal coil of her body...two aspects of Kimiko, one the familiar face and form of her mother, and the other...**

**Nabiki stared in wide-eyed amazement, seeing the bright glory of a winged woman rising up above the bed, stretching out her arms as the markings on her face began to glow, and then a column of light appeared in the air above her and the winged woman rose up into the heavens, drawing the other Kimiko with her as the two of them ascended into the heavens. It took a moment for Nabiki to realize why she was seeing now what she had failed to see before, when she turned and found little Kasumi standing there, all of ten years old with eyes as wide as saucers, having seen her mother literally transform herself into an angle, and forever afterward being transfixed by the memory, which would give her a peace that was unknown to either of her sisters.**

**The younger Nabiki out in the hallway was not so peaceful, her face hardened against crying, eight years old and disillusioned after having wasted prayers on sleepless nights begging the Kami for her mother to get better. No miracle had happened, the kami had obviously not been listening, so why should Nabiki pay them any heed in the future?**

**Besides, their mother's medical debts had drained the family fortune, leaving them barely enough upon which to live. Someone had to do something about that, and since their father was inconsolable and Kasumi had enough to do just taking care of the chores around the house, that left Nabiki to engineer a way to keep them out of bankruptcy so that they would not be forced to sell the house and dojo.**

**Vowing softly to herself that she would never be weak like that again she steeled her eyes against the tears she might otherwise have cried, and little Nabiki began to resolve on strategies that would earn her money. It did not matter what she might have to do, she would not let herself be poor for the rest of her life. She would be rich, powerful and influential one day, in control of her destiny and no man's puppet. She would honor her mother's memory by insuring that her family would stay together and not further fragment. She would cover for her father's emotional state and cover for all his debts by being wise and clever, not a fool who let herself be used in the schemes concocted by others.**

**"Money makes the world go round, so why shouldn't I earn lots of it? I don't need anyone to look out for me. I'm not a mindless brute who uses her body instead of her brains like Akane. I can handle myself by being smarter and quicker than the other guy, and if I can use my own sex against him, then I won't hesitate to do so..." In the years to come she would live up to her fervent declaration by using her looks and brains to con and manipulate people into doing what she wanted them to do.**

**Even her father would not be spared from the effects of her materialism since she would be the one putting him on an allowance, a mere stipend, while seeing to it that Kasumi was the one who actually spent it on something useful. In time her quest to make enough money to pay the bills would earn her a reputation as a mercenary Ice Queen who exploited others for profit, and yet the amount of energy that she actually expended to achieve her ambitions left her with less and less time in which to practice her martial arts, and so she had finally given up on **

**furthering her lessons, preferring to only work out enough to keep herself in reasonably good shape, not the intensive workouts that made Akane come across as such a Tomboy...**

**"Akane thinks she's so hot because she knows how to use her fists, but she's just as weak and gullible as any boy when you get down to it, and I can bend her around my little finger with just a few words spoken in the right tone and manner. I'm definitely superior to the little Princess in all the ways that count...not that I can see why it is that everyone else is so hopelessly maddened by Akane, even Daddy, who pampers, favors and spoils her so much while they both neglect me and Kasumi. Akane never realizes how good she's got it...if boys only looked at me like that...not that I'm jealous, of course. I don't need boys, I don't need anybody..."**

**And yet there was one whom she needed and leaned upon for support when all else faltered. Kasumi was always there for Nabiki, always with a kind word and only a mild scold on her lips for the things that she either knew or suspected about her sister. Kasumi would care for her as though she was another version of their mother, a nurturing warm presence who could make everything better...**

**"Kasumi's like a saint, Mom...you raised her well. Without her this house would implode of its own grief. Akane's going around smashing things up for when they piss her off and I don't think she's ever put two and two together about how much it costs to replace those things. Good thing I got that deal worked out with that construction yard...she goes through wood and cinder blocks like they were made of cardboard..."**

**Then high school came and Nabiki started noticing that boys were a lot different from the majority of her girl clients. Though most were lecherous droolers, there were a few who did catch her eye and made her notice them with an odd sort of distraction. She tried making some moves to get to know these boys but was rebuffed for her troubles, making her wonder if she were doing something wrong or going about it in the wrong manner. It was her best friend, Ryonami, who pointed things out to her and made Nabiki aware of just why it was that nice boys and bad boys alike tended to avoid her... "You intimidate them, Sempai...they know you're smart and how you like to make money and they're frightened that you'll hurt them. I know just what they feel because...um...well...sometimes you can frighten even me...Sempai..." Hurt them? Of course she could hurt them! She could hit any one of them where they live the **

**instant that she dug the dirt up about them and plumed them for their dirty, forbidden little secrets.**

**Most of the time it was inconsequential affairs that seemed to obsess some people far beyond any strain of logic. She was fairly appalled to learn how much some people would obsess over the trivial and miss the bloody obvious that was staring them in the face. It was childishly easy to play upon their feelings towards her own ends, and while she felt humiliated to be undervalued next to Akane, who only knew how to smash things into rubble. Proof again of her superiority, though to her face Nabiki was always kind and supportive of Akane and all the maddening things she could do to disrupt life and make things interesting in the house of Tendo...**

**"Little sister is such a fool. Here she's been gifted with an ability to turn heads and all she can do is complain about people not taking her seriously. Why, if I had her skill at motivating the boys to notice me...not that I need boys...or anybody else besides that..."**

**And then he came into her world, the living embodiment of confusion and madness who hit Nerima like a whirlwind and shook up everything forever. At first Nabiki did not know what to make of this Saotome Ranma character or his freeloading idiot of a father. On the one hand she sensed another youth whose life was wracked by the foolishness of others, on the other hand she could see what a burden he was, how much energy would need to be expended in order to make up for the hand that fate had dealt him. He was a bottomless pit and an emotional cripple, a living phenomenon and a magnet for all sorts of insanity, a physical specimen in both his male and female aspects who could turn heads at her school and keep the keep the demands flowing for pictures that she could sell to her clients for a considerable fortune.**

**"The boy needs an agent, and I'm only doing him a favor by exploiting his gifts. He's got a great body and he's like a god when he moves, and next to him even Kuno-baby is yesterdays old news. Of course I don't want to marry the guy, he's too much hard work to shape up into anything decent, and if he keeps up with that 'Man among Men' attitude of his he's going to one day run into somebody who's a little bit better and he'll have his head handed to him. Not that I care one way or another, of course, I'm much too smart to let a little thing like wild hormones and gonads make me forget for an instant that this guy is trouble and he probably won't make a dime in his life from honest efforts..."**

**And yet, time and again, no matter what the odds, Ranma came through in battle after battle and challenge after challenge, demonstrating extraordinary resourcefulness and an ability to exploit openings that left even Nabiki looking on in envy. She also saw the way this boy and her little sister were slowly pulling together, almost drawn against the screaming and kicking they would do to persist in their act of, "We're not a couple, so forget about any damned engagements!"**

**"Listen to those two...like they're fooling anybody! Martial artists are such idiots...they spend all their time learning how to flex their muscles and almost none of it on sharpening their minds, let alone grow a lick of common sense! If they only knew how clueless they seem next to me...I can see right through each and every one of them...all except that Cologne character, she's scary..."**

**One day she decided to help Akane and Ranma's relationship along by playing what she thought was a clever trick, one born out of inspiration and a momentary careless remark by Akane saying that she and Ranma ought to be engaged, an offer that Nabiki snapped up without the least bit of hesitation.**

**"Of course I don't want the guy, he's an idiot and he'll probably grow up to be just like his father. He is very handy at generating funds, however, especially when I sell his time on dates to his fiancées...all except that Shampoo, and how the heck did she figure out that they could avoid paying me by taking me out of the picture? Not that I'm scared of them, of course. I may not be a martial artist, but I know Ranma will protect me, and besides, Shampoo only talks a good fight, to the best of my knowledge she's never actually hurt anyone, let alone kilied them, and that's hardly the best way of getting on Ranma-kun's good side..."**

**It bothered her that Shampoo was turning out to be more than the clueless bimbo that Nabiki at first took her to be. Ukyo was easier to read, being so transparent in her actions and motives, rather more honest than even the chef herself realized with the way she would try one thing or another to get Ranma to notice her the way she wanted to be noticed. If only someone could hold up a mirror to Kuonji and point out the flaws in her behavior, the things that made most guys react to her as though she were a man, even when they technically knew better...**

**In time she had grown weary of the sport of using Ranma and decided it was time to bring him and Akane back together. Though Nabiki might shamelessly act the part of the flirt, in truth she did see how much her little sister was hurting and was glad to pass Ranma back over onto Akane. It had never been more than a clever game to her, more proof of why she was better than him, why brains could trump brawn and in the end make her the winner, and so what if she kept most of the proceeds of that little affair? With all of the bills paid it was long since time that she started saving up for college.**

**"Time to move on and leave this dump behind. Daddy and Akane are living in the past, and Kasumi lives there full time, but the world is moving on all around us and won't wait for us to climb aboard. As soon as I'm able to jump the nest I am out of here...let Akane have the dojo, I'll make a killing in the business world and have more money than the Kunos!"**

**Only things did not quite work out the way she planned. The Japanese market went sour, many of her investments did not pan out the way she had expected, and the disaster at the first attempt of a wedding (which Nabiki reluctantly admitted that she had helped sabotage since she had thought the timing of the move to be premature for both Ranma and Akane) left them temporarily broke, so Nabiki had to defer her plans for college for another year while she attempted to build back he portfolio and pay off the damages that had been wreaked upon Nerima from various brawls by their resident martial artist population.**

**"Dammit, why can't anyone see how all this fighting is just a pointless waste of time and resources? Ranma and Akane-chan are getting along much better now but his other fiancées are becoming desperate. If only I could figure out why Cologne hasn't made her move yet to try and push Shampoo's stakes a little harder...she seems unusually sad recently, and Kuonji's so depressed of late that she can hardly make a halfway decent okonomiyaki..."**

**And then the day finally came, Ranma and Akane graduated from high school and announced to the world that they were at long last getting married. The response from all of Nerima was jubilation, but not so with the Nekohanten and Ucchan's Cafe. Ukyo seemed resigned to the inevitable, but Shampoo had gone into seclusion, and Kodachi? Went off the end entirely and had to be institutionalized before she made too much of an embarrassment for her family. Even Kuno-chan's been behaving himself better of late, not as crazy and clueless as usual...wonder if there's a connection?**

**Heck, even Ukyo's accepted that Ranma is never going to look on her the way he does Akane...she's even accepted the slot as "Best Man" and Ring Bearer, and Kami-sama if she doesn't ever look good in a tux! Even Ryoga seems to have taken things in stride since he has Akari now and they are definitely an item...**

**"But where are Cologne and Shampoo? I expected them to bomb the second wedding like they did the first. Mousse is also not around these days...I wonder what the deal is there? He must love the idea of Ranma marrying somebody else...clears the field for him to go after his dream girl. Maybe I ought to hunt him down and pry the truth out of him...damn these Amazons and their secretive ways. At least the wedding seems to be going off without a hitch, not one fight breaking up the ceremonies this time, and here I halfway expected Taro or somebody else to break in at the point where the priest asks if anyone objects to the union..."**

**But then, almost immediately, trouble started to happen within the marriage. Akane, it turned out, had not mentally adjusted to the idea of a mature and stable Ranma as a husband. She needed extra care to keep from flying off the handle into jealous fits, and whenever Ranma insulted her in even the slightest way she would pound him in retaliation. She went from one mood swing to the next with alarming rapidity, one moment sweet-tempered and nice, the next like a possessed madwoman, and over time her condition kept getting worse, not better. It got to the point where Nabiki took to consulting with Doctor Tofu about her sister's worsening mental state, and that had led to a crash course on the medical condition known as Rage Disorder, which Akane seemed to fit with all the classical signs of a progressive disorder. **

**Worse still for Nabiki's peace of mind, she had finally confronted Mousse and learned the shocking truth about what had happened to Shampoo. It had stunned the so-called "Ice Queen," the notion of "Honorable Suicide" being as foreign to her worldview as if she had not been born Japanese or had any exposure to Samurai culture. To realize that there had been a deadline for her to gain the love of her Airen, that by rejecting her Ranma was unwittingly sealing her fate, and that Shampoo had preferred death to the only alternative left open to her: a life of exile with no Ranma in it (or the third alternative, accepting Mousse as her husband and a lowering in tribal status). In taking her own life she had preserved her family name and honor, and in respect of this Cologne had withdrawn from Japan and vowed never to involve herself in the affairs of the Saotome clan ever again...**

**When she thought about Shampoo, Nabiki became sad beyond her own powers of understanding. How cold someone so beautiful and vivacious be so willing to throw it all away like that? Shampoo could have been a successful actress or model...she was smarter than most people realized and might have become a doctor or famous artist. Her martial arts skills were superior to anyone else save Ryoga and Ranma's, and she was a perfect physical specimen in all other aspects. She could have had her pick of men had she been open to the idea of marrying someone other than Ranma. The sheer waste of it all, the senselessness of a life so full of possibilities having ended so badly...it shook Nabiki to her roots and made her begin to question so many other things that she had long been taking for granted...**

**And then there was Kuonji herself, Shampoo's nominal rival and neglected "best friend" of the boy she still loved in spite of the pain he had inflicted upon her. There was another life so rich in possibilities being squandered over a hopeless love that would never be returned. Ukyo went around with her heart on her sleeve, even putting her normal practical business sense (the thing Nabiki had most admired in the chef was her commercial savvy and self-reliance), willing to cast it all aside on a moment's notice if she could spend one hour of her time with her "Ran-chan."**

**It made no sense to Nabiki and even caused her to question the chef's very sanity, half afraid that she might be joining Kodachi in a padded room somewhere, and yet in most respects Ukyo was the most stable person whom Nabiki now knew about in Nerima. She held on with a strength that seemed to come from deep personal resources that Nabiki had never even suspected could exist in the compulsive Tomboy.**

**"And all this because of Ranma? Why are these girls throwing their lives away over him? Is there something I'm missing here? Is there more to the guy than the mindless jock I've always pegged him to be? And what the heck is going on between him and Akane...?"**

**In truth she was alarmed to see her sister becoming more insanely violent by the day, and yet when Nabiki had tried to gently suggest ways of coping with Akane's distress she was met with a solid wall of denial. No one else in the household seemed willing to do anything about her sister's condition. Her father thought the violence was just a phase that two lovers were naturally going through as they adjusted to a marriage. Genma thought his son should be more of a man and take it since he'd raised the boy to be emotionally dependent upon somebody, whoever was closest to Ranma. Nodoka was insistent that any family problems could be dealt with inside the family, and while she had her own issues about the marriage (she and Akane had a falling out about children with Akane insisting that she would rather go to school and get a college degree before starting a family, and Nodoka desperately wanting grandchildren guaranteed that the two would not see eye-to-eye from that point onward) still the Saotome matriarch was certain that her son would prove to be a "Man among Men" and in the end prevail over whatever demons were afflicting his young (and headstrong) wife.**

**And Kasumi? Normally Nabiki would expect her older sister to be the bedrock foundation in maintaining peace and order in their house. Instead Kasumi seemed more and more to withdraw into her own sheltered world, preferring to shut out the noise and bedlam that was happening all around her since to take more direct action in the affair would mean having to directly confront Akane about her rage disorder.**

**Even Kasumi was becoming afraid of their sister's violent mood swings, and so she rationalized her fear by assuming an aura of calm that was full of denial, as though she lived more and more within her own little world that was full of singing birds and cheerful flowers.**

**Of all the people to come to rely upon, Nabiki found herself forming an uneasy alliance with Ukyo herself, the one person who seemed willing to do anything about the worsening state of Ranma's physical condition. Nabiki was alarmed to a point that went beyond terror the more she saw how the constant beatings were wearing away at the once-indomitable martial artist. Ranma was walking around with bruises on his arms, face and body nearly all the time, and it was becoming harder for him to disguise them. Worst still, his phenomenal recuperative powers were slowing down under the strain of the constant bashing. He had an uneven walk now and tended to favor one leg, and he flinched from the slightest contact with any other object, as though he had injuries that he was trying mightily not to display before others. His pride was suffering even more than his body, and he no longer had the cocky confidence of someone who could meet any obstacle and come away laughing.**

**"Where is the boy I knew who was clueless and invincible? Where is the baka iinazuke of my sister who attracts fiancées like moths to a candle, and yet who doesn't have the least idea of what it means to be in a relationship with a woman? Where is that cute girl I met to whom I briefly felt attracted? Who is this stranger, this scarecrow who looks so thin and doesn't quite fit in his own clothes anymore? Where is the guy who could move heaven and earth and even kill a god in order to rescue my equally baka sister...?"**

**It was Ukyo who insisted on dragging the boy to a "Battered Wives" clinic, whereupon he was exposed first-hand to the dark underbelly of Japanese society, the results of many a dysfunctional family that existed in a world of silence and reproval, the result of their national obsession with "See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Do Nothing," behavior. Wives and even husbands who were involved in violent relationships with a spouse or significant other who had a rage disorder syndrome and were unable to keep themselves from fits of irrational violence. Nabiki attended those meetings with Ukyo, the two of them trying to keep Ranma from bolting and running away, so that he might listen to these stories and come to a conclusion of his own...and yet the real revelation was for Nabiki, who never before had realized just how much of an enabler she had been, aiding and abetting Akane's violence through her own irresponsible actions.**

**"My Goddess...what have I done? I pushed Ranma and Akane together, and now this? I even suggested the idea of their engagement in the first place! I thought they'd be a perfect couple once they settled down and admitted their true feelings, but now I see that I was just as clueless as Daddy! I looked the other way and pretended not to see what was so obvious, that their relationship was a disaster waiting to happen!" Much to her own surprise the weekly meetings at the "Battered Wives" clinic did start to help Ranma by getting him to admit that he was not entirely at fault for the failure of his marriage.**

**Up until now Ranma had been making a serious effort to **reform** his behavior, to become more understanding and considerate towards Akane, to stop insulting her over her cooking (which had, admittedly, improved a lot under Nodoka's patient tutorage) and to do nice things to get on Akane's good side.**

**The problem with all of this strategy was that such behavior was so unlike the norm for Ranma that it had the opposite effect on Akane, making her feel both inadequate and suspicious over imagined slights and the deep suspicion that Ranma was still being unfaithful.**

**After all, why be so nice unless he had done something for which he was feeling guilty?**

**Now at last Ranma could see that Akane's illness had a medical side, that it was not a matter of who was at fault but rather what could be done to arrest the problem before she became worse since she most definitely would not be getting better without treatment. A doctor prescribed various forms of treatment that could be used, everything from counseling to prescribed medications that could arrest the mood swings while they determined if there were a physical component behind Akane's mental deterioration. It might be that a blow to the head had caused a clot to form, or possibly constricted vessels to one part of the brain that normally controlled such behavior. There might be a need for radical surgery, but the alternative was quite possibly lethal, such as a burst vessel or an aneurysm, and if left untreated there was the definite chance of a stroke that could either cripple or kill Akane.**

**But Akane steadfastly refused to see a doctor about her condition, refused to admit that there was anything wrong with her behavior that warranted treatment. Despite Nabiki's having sought to gently broach this subject with her, Akane's reaction was to immediately blame Ranma for turning her sister against her, and that led to another beating, one that had left poor Ranma-kun in a condition very close to being a coma.**

**That night Nabiki got no sleep as she and Ukyo maintained a "death-watch" outside of Ranma's hospital bedroom.**

**Each girl had sat alone in her own thoughts as they thought about what to do to get Ranma away from Akane. Nabiki was even willing to help the two of them flee Nerima together if it would mean separating Ranma from the vengeful reach of her sister, of whom Nabiki was now visibly frightened. Among the angry tirades that Akane had unleashed during the day was the belief that Nabiki had somehow betrayed her by "siding" with Kuonji.**

**That Ranma had managed to pull through from yet another brush with death was hardly comforting to either girl, and now they both knew for certain that they had to convince Ranma to bring an end to his marriage, to admit defeat and give it up for once rather than to attempt to repair the damage. This was one battle he was fated to lose, and if they could not make him see that then he was as doomed as Akane.**

**But then, just when Nabiki had thought it could not get any worse, the parents stepped in and proved her wrong, like always.**

**"I can't believe those idiots! What the hell do they think they're doing? They come in here, learn that Ranma is all right-no thanks to my little sister- and then they tell Kuonji that she's not to have anything more to do with Ranma. Hell, Nodoka all but threatened Ukyo to stay away from her son, and Genma was actually showing some backbone there by telling Kuonji-san that any dealings that he may have had with her in the past were null and void as of that moment. She's got no claim on Ranma now, so she has no business being with him...and Daddy...daddy was the worst of the lot! He all but came close to calling Ukyo a Jezebel for trying to break up Akane's marriage!"**

**Nabiki had often thought her family a little odd, but she had never felt ashamed of admitting that she was a Tendo until that moment. That day she knew that she could have no further dealings with such a whole house full of idiots, that she could never look her father in the eye and respect him like she did as a little girl...and the Saotomes? Ranma was better off the hell away from those two! If only Kasumi were not completely off in lala land she might have offered some support to Nabiki's position, but no...it fell to the only member of their family who had the courage to admit to failure.**

**So Nabiki met with Ukyo in private and together they agreed that they would bring and end to the marriage...one way or another. Ranma had to be saved from himself, from his own stubborn pride and sense of marital duty, and from the blindness of their own family, both Tendo and Saotome. Once Ranma was free and clear of Nerima they could file for divorce papers, and to hell with uniting the schools or preserving the dojo!**

**But disaster finally came when Ranma was released from the hospital and went back to the Tendo dojo. He was no longer the same man in any sense of the word, there was a fatalism to his stride now, a sense of the walking wounded who knew that a train wreck was about to happen and had given up on caring.**

**She and Ukyo were appalled at the very sight of the boy even as they laid the groundwork for their plans to abduct him. In his present state Ukyo would have no trouble overpowering him and carrying him away, but just as she stepped in through the back wall behind the house (which had not yet been prepared from the last wave of destruction) a final argument sprang up between Ranma and Akane.**

**Nabiki heard it coming from the dojo and went out to investigate, heart in her mouth when she heard the tempo rising to levels that had never been heard before. Ranma, so grim and joyless, showing no anger beyond a mild resentment, and Akane... Akane with the Saotome Katana!**

**"I can't believe I froze like that...I can't seem to move...it's all happening in slow motion, like in a damned movie! Akane's aiming the sword at Ranma, who foolish turned his back on her and has carelessly left himself exposed and-NO! NO! NO! Kami-sama in heaven, what are you doing, Akane? Are you insane? You'll kill him!" **

**Fortunately someone else saw this in time, and unlike Nabiki she acted without thought or hesitation. Ukyo saw the sword plunge into the back of Ranma-chan, saw him go down without more than a slight gurgle of surprise, saw Akane raise the sword with the intent of finishing the job, and did the only thing she could think of doing, which was to throw herself into the path of the blade before it could enter Ranma a second time and finish him off.**

**Nabiki would never be able to forget the image of Ukyo bravely shielding the one she loved with her body. She knew that Ukyo could have dodged the attack, or used her spatula to deflect it, but that panic and fear had driven all sense out of her mind and left her with only this one option. The blade entered her stomach and came out the other side, only slightly grazing the wounded Ranma in one thigh, and then she went down with hardly a noise, crumpling like a puppet whose strings were cut, her mission successful but at a terrible price, this last act of self-sacrifice proving beyond all doubt that she was indeed the better fiancée.**

**What happened next was a blur in Nabiki's mind. Somehow they stopped Akane from doing worse damage to Ranma, and then Kasumi had called in Doctor Tofu, who arrived shortly thereafter and was able to save his life but not Kuonji's.**

**The rest of the day passed before her mind in a haze from which Nabiki herself only recovered gradually with time, the sight of Ukyo's dying expression of peace being etched in her mind, the knowledge that she had given her life to save her "Ranchan" no doubt speeding her on to her next incarnation. Nabiki faintly expected that she would be given a saint's welcome by the Buddha himself for her troubles.**

**But the upshot was grim...Ranma was hospitalized once again...and Akane was branded with the stain of a murder. Kuonji's death had been the final blow that snapped her mind completely, and she was institutionalized shortly thereafter.**

**The events shocked everyone to their roots and made both her father and the Saotomes begin to comprehend the depths of their error. Kasumi-having rallied so bravely in a time of crisis-lost her grip on sanity shortly thereafter and started seeing Ranma's blood on her dress, on her hands, on the walls and floor, on everything, and the guilt of being unable to save her little sister was more than she could handle. Nodoka would finally force Genma to take that suicide pact of his seriously, and that was the last they heard of him. The Saotome matron became a Buddhist nun to atone for her sins and too passed from the scene in silence. Nabiki's father went into shock and started wasting away after having watched his dreams crumple so completely, and then on his deathbed he had compelled her to attend his final last will and confession, whereupon he declared that Nabiki would become Ranma's new iinazuke.**

**To put it mildly, she was far too stunned to give him an argument, though if she had, at the time, her response would have been one of outrage. Somehow she had come through it all and had survived the complete destruction of her entire family. It had taken time for her to get past the shock and grief that had threatened to overwhelm her, and for a time she had almost taken Kasumi's route to happy-land.**

**She did not know what had saved her, or how she had managed to go on with her life after seeing everything around her go to dust. Perhaps there was a trace of family pride left within her, or maybe she just was not ready to give up as yet...but there was one amazing discovery that Ukyo's death had brought home with her, the knowledge that she would forever miss the taste of her okonomiyaki...and possibly even the chef herself on some strange level...**

**"We never were what you would call close friends...just business acquaintances, two ships in the night who meet and part whenever the winds bring us to the same waters. When I think of you now, Kuonji, I think of how good you looked in that tux, and how much you impressed me as a sensible business woman who could milk an investment for all that it was worth. If I could meet you again in another life, I think I would be happy to have you for my boyfriend...as it was...I think I would have loved you anyway, and you will never know how tempted I was when I was in your presence..."**

**Ranma had survived as well, of course, and of all the people to bring him back from the edge it was Ryoga who got through to him, who made him see that his life was not over, just missing a direction and purpose. Perhaps it was that warrior code that had always existed between them, a bond of enemies and rivals who were closer than blood brothers, but the two of them respected each other on a level that Nabiki would never understand, could never share, but could admire from a distance.**

**Ranma had recovered and began his life all over, starting with a ten years pilgrimage in which he went in search of himself, literally hoping to find what he had lost coming to Nerima. He had hardly said more than a few words to Nabiki, not even to acknowledge that they were now engaged to one another, and Nabiki had declined to press him on the issue. She knew he was going where she could not follow, that he had a long journey ahead and that he would have to struggle against the odds, to overcome what demons were consuming him, before he could come back to her as the person she knew, the one who had first appeared on her doorstep as a redheaded girl slung over the shoulder of a panda.**

**And Nabiki knew in that instant that she had to undergo a quest of her own, a pilgrimage to discover what was within her heart now that everything that meant anything to her was gone, dead and buried.**

**She left the house under a trusteeship, cashed in on several insurance policies and created a trust fund to keep the government from coming in and foreclosing on the property. She might have sold the place altogether were it not that she had a certain fondness for the nostalgia that it represented, the good times as well as the bad, which she refused to cast aside even as she prepared to leave her older self behind forever.**

**And the place where she decided to begin her journey? Where else but where it had all begun, in central China and the Bayankallah mountain range. She had never so much as undertaken a hiking trip in the hills that went further than a day's march from a tent, but now she elected to travel over foreign land on foot as a pilgrim, making like some ages-old storybook heroine as she lived like a mendicant and foraged off the land, gradually developing survival skills that had been bred into Ranma over the course of a lifetime.**

**Perhaps she was trying to discover something about him through her actions, but whatever the case, it brought her finally to a certain village at the furthest end of Mainland China. There she prepared herself for whatever fate had in store for her, half expecting to be mercilessly hunted down and killed by the Amazons as a member of the hated "Tendo" family, but instead she was greeted by studied indifference and suspicion by the natives there, even their dour-eyed "Enforcer," who had let her pass without being chopped to bits by those fearsome axes that she carried.**

**At last Nabiki found the hut belonging to the Elder Cologne, and much to her own surprise she was greeted like an honored guest and not a hated enemy. Cologne was actually civil towards her while not eyeing Nabiki directly, refusing to mention Shampoo by name and only obliquely referring to the death of her most promising heir and kinswoman as a "hunting accident." Nabiki knew a face-saving cover-up when she heard one, but she saw no point in challenging the lie and even offered her sincere condolences for the loss of a promising warrior. She added that she wished that she could have done more to make things different, but that she did not believe in the power of wishes, a fact drummed into Nabiki at having many times witnessed the effects of such illicit uses of magic.**

**"Indeed?" Cologne said as she eyed Nabiki strangely, "And have you changed so much that the legendary Queen of Ice can lecture me on the proper uses of magic?"**

**Nabiki felt her cheeks grow warm as she glanced down and hastily said that she had not intended her words to be an insult, but Cologne dismissed the matter lightly and offered to give her a bed for the night. Nabiki was reluctant to sleep within the same house that once had shared Shampoo's presence, but she decided that ghosts were something she could live with after all. If Cologne chose to murder her in the night it would just mean she'd be getting a better nights sleep than many she had had recently. Besides, she was feeling more than a little nostalgic being around the old woman and wanted to prolong the experience a little longer, if only so that she could put to rest the guilt she carried over not having known Shampoo or thought better of her while she was still living.**

**That night a curious thing happened in her dreams...she started to awaken. It was like a voice was in her head asking her questions, and then there was silence. Who it was who had been speaking she never really knew, only that she felt a lot better in the morning as though a great weight had been lifted form her shoulders.**

**That morning Nabiki had felt something strange within her, a joy at being alive. It was a feeling she had gone a long time without knowing, but now she rose up early and went outside to witness a sunrise, feeling it warm her inside and out with its cleansing radiation, and she was basking in the glow when someone spoke to her, startling her completely.**

**"I often think a new day is a time for casting aside all memory of the previous days, don't you? Rather like changing your wardrobe or getting rid of an old pair of shoes that have worn thin from long travel."**

**"Who?" at first Nabiki had thought it was Cologne who had spoken, but then she saw that the old woman beside her was a very different sort of Elder, still incredibly ancient yet steeped in a mystery that made her as unlike Cologne as evening was from morning.**

**"Forgive me," the old woman smiled and looked up at her through crinkly eyes, "I often speak without remembering my manners. I am Lo-Xion, the Elder, Lore Master of the Joketsuzoku, and very well met indeed, Tendo Nabiki."**

**"You know my name?" Nabiki asked with a touch of her old habit of suspicion. "I dare say that there is no one in this village who has not heard of you," the old woman seemed faintly amused about something, "But what they have heard and what I find before me are two very different things...wouldn't you agree?"**

**"Ah...maybe," Nabiki replied with caution.**

**"Good answer," the woman waved her wooden staff as though it were a wand and smile, "Never be too quick with information, always pause and reflect before you speak, then people might come to suspect that you have something worth hearing."**

**She blinked at that and said, "Excuse me?"**

**The old woman chuckled and said, "Never mind, I'm much in the habit of offering advice, though whether people choose to heed my counsel or not is always up to them. We'll talk another time, after you've had some breakfast in you. You've come a long way and have a great many questions, but how can you even begin to ask them when you are so empty inside that your very soul is hungry for the food and drink of life?"**

**With that the old woman turned and limped away, favoring one leg and leaning on her staff in a way that Cologne never did. Nabiki was left to stand there feeling stupid, wondering just what had happened now, and why she had this nagging feeling that she would soon be seeing a lot of that old woman.**

**"She is a strange one, I know," Cologne remarked, and Nabiki almost jumped at the sound of the other elder's voice, "Lotion is not one to trifle lightly with outsiders, so it may be that there is something about you that has caught her interest. If I were you, I would take it as a compliment, though in a way I almost pity you as well. Now come inside and eat the meal I have prepared for you, you will need your strength for the day that surely awaits you."**

**Nabiki did not like the sound of that, but having no sense of what was in store for her she accepted the old woman's further hospitality. Of course she was a bit stunned when Cologne later revealed a certain fact that Mousse had neglected to inform her, that she was not considered an outsider by the Amazons for a reason...that the Tendo clan had been formally adopted into their tribe by a decision of their Council.**

**"Excuse me?" Nabiki asked, having almost choked on her bowl of steaming hot ramen.**

**"Son-in-law is a title I gave to Ranma for a reason," Cologne explained, "His refusal to acknowledge his status with...she who once was of this house...is not germane to the matter. He was declared as Airen by an Amazon warrior and so was legally her husband the whole time that she pursued him in Nerima." Nabiki blinked at this, then said, "But...if Ranma was Shampoo's wife...ah...why didn't you try harder to bring him back here?"**

**"You seem to think that the decision was mine to make," Cologne explained, "But I assure you that it was not. Ranma defeated me in battle during the affair of ski match, remember? Granted, the use of the Nekoken was a bit unorthodox, and Sham...she who was my heir...helped out, but in the end the fact is that I underestimated Saotome Ranma, and so I lost to him, and thus I lost my right to oppose his will to remain in Japan and not force him to come back with us to China." **

**Nabiki glanced down and sighed, speaking her mind without hesitation this time, "I wish you had succeeded. None of this would have happened if Ranma had married Shampoo and come to live with your Joketsuzoku."**

**"What's done is done," Cologne replied, "The past cannot be altered. The mistakes we all made were grievous and wrong-headed. I dare say that neither one of us is the same person that we were then, and given the choice we would have altered things more to our liking. The fact remains...Ranma was an Amazon by adoption...and still is. Some on the Council wanted to banish him for disgracing my heir, but I convinced them that the real guilt belonged to his father and your father...both men. They compelled Son-in-law to adhere to his union with another, and by marrying her he bestowed Nyanchiczu title on her and her immediate family. In other words...you, too, are Nyanchiczu by adoption."**

**Nabiki just sat there in stunned silence for a time, then realized that coming to the village was either a mistake or the first step in a very long evolution...**

**"If I knew then what I know now...how was it that Cologne put it? The events of our past shape our present, and that by destroying the mistakes we make we would be losing the enlightenment we gained through our error. Fine thing as long as that enlightenment doesn't cost you the lives of people whom you care for...but that was the beginning of a new life for me, the beginning of my current destiny, when I became the person I am today...when I became the disciple of Lotion..." **

**"Tell me what you see when you gaze at your reflection in the water?"**

**Nabiki smiled as she stared at the clear pond from which she had been drinking, "I see myself, and I see a stranger. I don't know the person I see, Sensei. I'm still trying to figure her out." **

**"Understanding comes with acceptance," her mentor patiently explained, "You already know who you are, you simply do not choose to acknowledge this as fact, but in time you surely must, for all things happen in their proper order. You are born, you learn to crawl, you learn to walk, you learn to run, and, if you are very, very careful, you will only tumble about half the time, but in the end you will still arrive at the destination that you were meant to travel."**

**"I wish I could be as certain of this," Nabiki replied, "I wish I knew what I'm still doing here. It's been two years and I still don't have all the answers..."**

**"All the answers?" Lotion sniffed, "You should live as long as me before you know even a tenth as much as I do, but perhaps you will live to surpass me. After all, one learns in accordance to what they have to teach, and one teaches in accordance to one's ability to learn..."**

**"And learning by example is the way of a Lore Master, huh?" Nabiki smiled ironically at the old woman, "You've been drumming me with your riddles since the first day I got here, and all I can think is how simple you make things appear to be..."**

**"And yet how complex they really are when you peer beneath the surface?" Lotion smiled, then with a quick motion of her staff she froze the water solid, turning it completely into ice. "Now, stand upon the surface and show me what you know."**

**"Not this again," Nabiki sighed, moving out obediently to walk barefoot over the surface of the motionless water, not even bothered by the cold as she absorbed what warmth she needed from the air itself, being perfectly attuned with all of the forces of nature. "Okay, I'm in the center, now what?"**

**Lotion just smiled and tapped the pond once again, and instantly the ice dissolved back into water, leaving Nabiki without support as she fell into the pond with a yelp and splashed around before regaining her bearings.**

**"Let that be a lesson to you," the old woman smiled, "Never be so quick to act in obedience, even to your Master. In the end there can be only one Master for a Lore Master, and that is yourself, not someone outside you. The day when you can see yourself as my equal, rather than my student, is the day when I will have nothing further to teach you."**

**"Oh yeah?" Nabiki growled as she made a motion with her hand, and all at once a whirling spiral of water rose up from the surface at her command, guided by her Chi as she shaped and guided it into a wave that she sent crashing towards the old woman. The wave passed and broke around Lotion without touching her, the old woman remaining untouched as she just smiled and nodded before saying,**

**"Better, you are learning."**

**Nabiki trudged back to shore grumbling about never trusting anyone over a hundred when a light chuckle caught her attention, causing her to turn and see Perfume standing off to one side leaning against a tree and giving her a sardonic expression.**

**"You never learn fast enough to avoid her tricks, my friend," the Amazon Enforcer said, "It's like we always say...Elders, can't live with them, can't avoid them, so don't bother."**

**"You're a big help," Nabiki snorted, only to catch the towel that the brown haired girl tossed her way, and with this she started to dry out her hair rather than rely upon her powers, which did help improve her mood a little.**

**"Come on, step out of those wet clothes," Perfume urged, "They'll get tacky if you let them dry while you're wearing them."**

**"Take them off...around you?" Nabiki shot back.**

**"What, you think I'm going to jump you in front of an Elder?" Perfume nodded to Lotion, "Thought you knew me better than that, Butterfly."**

**Nabiki smiled at her adopted Amazon name, then responded in kind, "I think I do, Pussy-cat, but you think I'm going to go there in front of Sensei?"**

**"Young people these days," Lotion sniffed, pretending not to be amused by the flirtatious behavior of youth, "Dry yourself however you like, and when you are ready to spend more time hearing an old woman's babble you need only seek me out." Then the Elder Lore Master limped away, leaving her junior apprentice to muse,**

**"Sometimes that old woman frightens me. In the old days I was never this transparent." **

**The next moment she felt the warm arms of the Amazon slide around her, and Perfume leaned her head against Nabiki's shoulder and purred, "I think I'd like to have met the old you back in your native Japan. It would have been fun having to chase you all over again..."**

**"She's gone...and yet she's not gone...she's inside me," Nabiki answered before giving up on the attempt to sound as wise as her mentor since it was obvious that Perfume had other things in mind than philosophizing...**

**"Perfume, my beautiful, sensitive warrior friend...I miss you sometimes, the warmth you brought back into my frozen heart. But we both knew that our time together was a brief moment in our lives, to be enjoyed before we went our separate ways. I had a destiny to fulfill and we both knew that I would follow it to the ends of the Earth...and only when I was ready did I go searching for him...for my husband...for the man I was fated to marry, just as you were fated to find happiness with your cousin, Lotion the Younger..."**

**The search was long and perilous, and many times Nabiki had thought to turn away and seek a different path, but instinct drew her on. It was strong and certain about the course and direction, and in the end she found him there at the valley pass, weak from loss of blood and hunger yet still the fighter that she remembered, only much grown inward with a darkness in his heart that had been missing when last she saw him. He was much the same as she remembered only harder, harsher, gaunter and with scars on his body that had been missing the last time she had seen him naked.**

**She nursed him back to health but admitted that the real effort had been his all along, as if something inside him refused to give up and die, something more than just stubbornness and pride, more as if he felt unworthy to die, as if death were a reward that he had not earned and would not accept no matter his torments.**

**It did not take her long to fathom out the truth of his condition, and once she knew of his pact with Shiva, of the terrible price that had been exacted upon him in return for his survival, she knew that this was the result of all that he had experienced on account of her own foolish pride and stubbornness from long ago. She thought back to their first brief engagement, to the sort of person that she was who could callously use and discard him, and she felt ashamed and deeply humbled, the older and more experienced Nabiki viewing her childhood self through mature eyes that saw through all pretensions.**

**"This is what I have done to him, because I didn't act to end their engagement when I could have. I drove them together, believing that love would conquer everything in the end, and I was such a fool! How could I have been so blinded? There is a price paid for all mistakes, and Ranma-kun has paid for my sins a thousandfold, because I refused to see him as anything more than a resource to be exploited, priding myself on my superiority, on my ability to prove that brains could triumph over brutality, that I didn't need to be a martial artist like Akane, that I didn't need the approval of friends and family to get ahead, not even boyfriends or clueless fiancées..."**

**She had no excuses for her own conduct, not even her childish youth could explain what actions had driven her to spurn Ranma as a mindless jock with a weird curse that made him part girl and all walking magnet for trouble. Akane and Kasumi were gone because of her selfishness, her daddy a victim of his own clueless pride and obsession with the martial arts, and the same with Ranma's father. Now only they two remained of the old Nerima gang with no one to cling to but each other, and yet Nabiki knew that it would be years before she could ever hope to win his trust. Ranma knew the old her and by all rights should have hated that Nabiki, but instead he refused to look at her, hating himself for all the grief that he had caused to both Tendo, Kuonji and Amazon bloodlines. She knew that she had to act to take him out of the rut that he had fallen into, and since his pride was almost gone she had only one key to bring him back from the abyss, her intimate knowledge of who he was deep down inside and the flame that still burned there, the flame that never died, never gave up and never surrendered to the darkness.**

**"You are Saotome Ranma of the Anything Goes Ryu! You are not Tendo Ranma, you are not Airen Ranma, you are not Ranchan or Ranma-sama, you are yourself! Your own man! Never forget your name, Saotome! It's who and what you are, it's what makes you that most special breed of martial artist, a champion who can never be defeated!"**

**Slowly she kindled the fire within him until it burned once again in his eyes, the will to victory, the need to be the best in whatever he set his mind towards. She knew that now defeat for him could never again be an option, that the moment he surrendered in a battle Lord Shiva would consume him. She had to give him challenges and goals to help him work past his grief, and so she told him about her travels, about her experiences living eight years among the Amazons, of being accepted as one and being trained as a Lore Master. She then told him about the Time Patrol, that mysterious group with whom she had so recently come into contact, and she convinced him to explore the option that they had offered to her, to become a Time Agent, someone who could protect entire worlds from destruction by the mindless Things of the Outer Darkness, the eternal enemies of the Light who threatened the whole of existence. They had joined the Corps together and were enrolled in separate branches, and for a while it was almost like being back in high school again, albeit this time Ranma devoted himself to his studies with a will that had been absent in the old days. The need to excel caused him to surpass even her wildest expectations, and while he had not graduated top of his class, he had honors enough in his academic background, especially in regards to subjects like history, which had always been his favorite (much to her surprise since she had long believed that Ranma had slept through all of his studies, using his eidetic memory to make up for his general lack of attention and concentration on non-martial arts related subjects).**

**Nabiki, of course, had no problem graduating to an executive level position in the Corps, and by turns became Ranma's dispatcher. She had even recruited Ryoga, Akari, Ryonami and Gosunkugi to be her assistants then assigned Hibiki to watch Ranma's back like his ever-constant shadow. Being the only one she knew who could stand toe-to-toe in a fight with her iinazuke, Ryoga was the one to trust to make sure that Ranma did not come to a bad end due to his own recklessness and fatalism.**

**The formerly Lost Boy had grown long past his myopic rages and obsessions and no longer saw Ranma as a hated rival or the bane of his existence. Having witnessed the destructive decline of Akane's mental health first-hand had sobered Ryoga and matured him well beyond his years, making him well worthy to accept the spirit of Vishnu the Preserver into his very being as a counterpart to Ranma's Shiva-born instinct for destruction. And she gave her wayward iinazuke many targets for destruction, sent him to times and places where his powers would be useful.**

**On the surface she acted appalled whenever he engaged in wanton carnage and slaughter of his enemies, remembering how the Ranma of the past would go out of his way to avoid hurting even those who tried to kill him, but inwardly she was satisfied any time that he returned from an assignment, fresh from victory and ready for more action.**

**Ten years of working with him like this had forged an understanding between them, and gradually over time she saw that he was no longer holding her at arms length out of fear and suspicion that she would betray his feelings at the first drop of a yen note. In time she felt her love for him being returned in kind, and she knew that he wanted to approach her and apologize for the harsh words he had often used when calling her a heartless mercenary, just as she wanted to apologize to him for petty actions on her part far too numerous to mention. And yet still the grief was in him, and still he refused to forgive himself for what had happened, just as Nabiki could not forgive herself without his approval. It was an impasse that might have gone on forever if not for the events of a year ago when they both were forced to confront their own shadows and put to rest their inner demons, for which favor Nabiki would be eternally grateful.**

**"And, and such a year it has been! The sweetness more than matches the pain of the years we have spent in isolation and separation. Now Ranma-kun belongs to me and me alone, and no rivals or fiancées darken our doorstep. We have adopted two beautiful daughters and-thanks to those meddlesome Miroku-two more children that I carried to term at the age of forty. Not a bad arrangement on the whole...if only Kasumi and the others had lived to see us be this happy..."**

**And yet, for all that she felt as though she knew Ranma within and without, there were still times when he tended to surprise her, such as the other day when she had come home from the office and found him sitting on their couch watching old TV episodes from the **

**American-made series known as Star Trek. It reminded Nabiki that Ranma had grown up without much in the way of luxuries and had rarely watched any television while training on the road with his father, but that his discovery of Star Trek had been like a religious conversion for him, prompting him to spend many hours glued to the Tendo house's only set watching pirated cable programs and videos from Nabiki's own collection.**

**Her first question upon discovering her off-duty husband rekindling his old obsession was, "What is it that you see in that show? I've seen Anime with much more richly developed plotlines."**

**"But Star Trek was the original deal," Ranma had argued, "They pushed the envelope and made it possible for science fiction to really take off in the states. Sure, there's stuff we did that was years ahead of it, but you can't beat the chemistry of the original show, not with Kirk at the helm and Spock and McCoy backing him up like a team..."**

**Nabiki cocked an eyebrow at this. Ranma, the original solo player, praising the "Left-Brain/Right-Brain" gestalt that lurked behind the show's basic plotline?**

**"Kirk's a planner, and he never gives up," Ranma explained when he saw his wife's skepticism reflected in her sardonic features, "Spock's the brain and McCoy's got a lot of heart, but it's Kirk who puts it all together, who gives the orders that save the universe every week. You don't get that with the Next Generation series, not with that wooden stiff, Picard, and that crew of misfits who follow him around and try to take his lead..."**

**At this Nabiki felt the urgent need to protest, "And what's wrong with Picard, may I ask? He's intelligent, sensitive, caring, deeply sophisticated and a real planner, not some adolescent cowboy who picks up a new alien girlfriend every week."**

**"Oh yeah?" Ranma arched an eyebrow, "And is that the type of guy you'd want to marry?" **

**Nabiki saw the trap that she had so blithely walked into but was prepared to turn the tables by smiling and saying, "Well, what's wrong with a mature man who's career oriented? Come to think of it, he looks rather distinguished with a receding hairline. Hmmm...I wonder how you'd look with a tonsure, Ranma-kun. Maybe a bit like Jet-Li in those 'Once Upon a Time in China' movies we rented?"**

**That got him riled up good and fierce, because if there was one sensitive topic with Ranma it was his own shiny black warrior's braid, the source of so much pride and contention. When Nabiki playfully suggested shaving it to see if it would have an effect on him like Samson he got all properly outraged and called her a Delilah, then other rather expressive names, and that had led to a rather intense session where the two of them had settled their argument in a **most** interesting manner...ironically proving Ranma's very point and conceding the battle to him since Nabiki had known all along that she would marry a Kirk and not a Picard, a man who made life exciting rather than merely intellectually stimulating...**

**"Yes, it has been a good year...a very good year...and I hope all of the years to follow are as good as these have been, maybe even better..."**

**"Noble sentiments, my child," a familiar voice intruded upon her reverie, "But if you do not act now to save yourself then all your futures will be for nothing..."**

**Nabiki opened her inner eyes and said, "Sensei? Is that you?"**

**"Unless you are going mad and developing a split personality disorder, yes. I merely waited until such time as when you would be open to receiving me. This walkabout through your memories has been most...interesting and illuminating...but the time for dreaming is ended, and the time for acting is close at hand."**

**"Where are you, Sensei?" Nabiki asked with genuine longing, "I have missed you so much..."**

**"I am where I have always been...here inside you, within you, the part of yourself that knows and understands the deeper meaning of existence. I have always been here, but you have tarried long enough in the world of shadow. It is time to do the thing that you were born to do, the work that only you can accomplish."**

**"I am ready," Nabiki assured her, "What must I do?"**

**"What have I taught you, child, that you should even need to ask? Has life in the Time Patrol dulled your wits? You know what needs doing...you have always known, you just needed to listen."**

**"I'm listening," Nabiki assured, and then she smiled and added, "I understand. It will be as you say, Sensei...I am prepared to fight this battle."**

**"You know what is at stake, Child, now do what is within you." Nabiki heaved a sigh and said, "I am myself, I am at one within myself, I feel the light within me, I feel it reaching out to encompass the world of the Others, to bring us all together in the spirit of the One, the One united beyond which there is the Nothing. I am content to be a spoke upon the wheel of life, a conduit for the higher powers to channel through, for I am as one with the whole of the reality...and I AM MY ONLY MASTER..."**

**And then she opened her eyes, and opened her inner eyes, and the light poured through her, filling her body with its radiance as she opened the eyes of her physical body and stared out upon the plane of Ashkalon, seeing Ranma-HER Ranma-struggling against the energy construct that was holding him immobile. All at once she knew what was going on around her and why her body seemed immobile, why she felt every nerve throughout her system being overloaded and strained to the breaking point by tremendous energies that human flesh was never meant to handle. She knew that she would burn out like a cinder if the power around her so much as flickered for an instant, and that the delicate networking of interlacing forcefields and patterns that held everything in place were as delicate as any house of cards or game of Chengo. Pull one straw from the bottom and the entire structure would collapse upon itself like a proverbial house of cards, and when it fell the THINGS she sensed gibbering on the edge of consciousness would be loose upon the Multiverse. She understood all of this in the span of two heartbeats, and then she smiled, drew in on her own resources and reached out with her mind, instinctively guided to the key point of the forcefield's structure, and she removed that straw that would set everything else into motion. "I AM MY ONLY MASTER!" she declared as she seized hold of the pattern and wrenched it loose from its pyramid moorings...**

**Continued. Comments/Criticisms/Walkabout Marathons: shadowmane It's everybody versus Celestine, Round Three, next time **

**in, "Rumble in the Heavens," or, "Whom the Gods would Destroy they First Make **

**Hentai!" Be there! X **

**-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- If you **

**wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: **

** ~ All related chapters of this **

**series can be found there along with my other works. **


	18. Chapter 18

RanWarp18 Realities Warped! By Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi and other artists too numerous to mention. The Characters Chakar Shadowmane and Garimel Shalestar, however, were created by me, while Trella (RA Curtis) provided some of the characters and ideas that appear within this chapter, based on her series "Aiyaa, My Goddess!" and inspired by the fanfics authored by Gregg Sharp, Steve Thesken, Andy Kent and other such creative talents to whom no blame and/or credit can be attributed. The Gods of Law prohibit use by other, parties while Chaos, on the other hand, won't give a hang, though you still might get you flamed by certain of my pre-readers, and that is a fate to be avoided, believe me! You have been duly warned!)

Chapter Eighteen.

The Goddess Waltz Limbo Archea Threshold Between Realms

ROLL CALL: Ranko Saotome Daughter of Ranma &amp; Akane from Continuum #29715382 Meiko Saotome Daughter of Ranma &amp; Akane from Continuum #29715382 Honeysuckle Saotome Daughter of Ranma &amp; Shampoo from Continuum #3742196 Leona Daughter of Mousse &amp; Anapuma from Continuum #3742196 Maya Urdsdatter Fusion Daughter of Urd and Mraller from Cont: #3742196 Reiko Hibiki Daughter of Ryoga &amp; Rei from Continuum #52211475 Yui Hibiki Daughter of Ryoga &amp; Rei from Continuum #52211475 Cheshire Saotome Daughter of Ranma &amp; Nabiki from Continuum #76157982 Colt Tendo Daughter of Ranma &amp; Kasumi from Continuum #76157982 Tsuyoma Saotome Son of Ranma &amp; Nabiki from Continuum #71180134 Salon Saotome Daughter of Ranma &amp; Shampoo from Continuum #71180134 Sometra Saotome Daughter of Ranma &amp; Kodachi from Continuum #71180134 Valda Saotome Daughter of Ranma &amp; Belldandy from Continuum #535854018 Amber Saotome Daughter of Ranma &amp; Lao from Continuum #31413215 Tyger Tiger Saotome Daughter of Nabiki &amp; Lao from Continuum #31413215

"Okay, that was different," Amber remarked as she turned from surveying their gray surroundings to studying the features of her fourteen companions, "Is it like that for you every time you make a crossover?"

"Well, kind of," Ranko shrugged, "I've only been doing it off and on for a little over a year, but it always feels a little like bungee jumping, like being yanked out of one time frame and dropped into another without warning. What I know is that every reality is a little different from what you remember, so you have to keep your values flexible and get prepared to see what life would be like if things were completely wacko, at least from the perspective of what you've always taken for granted."

"Different histories, different characters, sometimes different parents for nearly identical people," Maya mused, "Must make for quite a list of interesting adventures."

"Oh yeah," Meiko rolled her eyes, "Interesting doesn't even begin to cover it. It's like nothing you can describe, this ability to walk between worlds and get involved in the lives and adventures of people very much like yourself, only...different. Know what I'm saying?"

"And just how long have you been at this anyway?" Reiko asked. "Off and on...about five or six years, give or take," Meiko shrugged, "Of course I've only recently gotten my Time Agent license, and largely over the objections of mom and dad, who wanted me to try some other line of work first...but, well...you know how it is, adventure's in the blood and all that. Besides, being removed from a condemned timeline pretty much closes off a lot of alternative options..."

"Ah..." Ranko winced, "My fault, really...I kind-of insisted on getting mom and dad to help me out with that..."

"Hey, I'm not upset about it or anything, Oneechan," Meiko assured her, "You did the right thing. I mean...as opposed to being locked in stasis time until our whole universe crumbled back into its component nothingness, the last five years have been a blast. It's a shame that can't be said for everyone else on our world, but since they already were living in the alternate timeline that you created, I guess it really doesn't matter."

"Doesn't matter?" Sometra asked with a raised eyebrow, "You can say that for everyone else who was living at the time on your timeline?"

"She means that if the people of our world were going to be nullified anyway, and I had the chance of saving at least one life, then you're damned right I made that decision and saved my only sister," Ranko snapped, then paused a moment before saying, "Uh...actually, you're all my sisters in one way or another, but Meiko...she's special to me. I never knew her, she was taken away from me before I even knew my mom was pregnant...heck, before I was old enough to even remember..."

"And hey, it all worked out for the best," Meiko assured them, "Oh sure, there were the odd kidnappings and quests and unplanned visits to a multitude of worlds that I can't even count, and I've even talked to gods, demons and higher level dimensional beings, so how many kids raised in 'Frisco can live to say that? Most kids our age are only dreaming about stuff that Oneechan and me take for granted..."

"It's really been like that for you?" Ranko asked with a surprised expression.

"Oh yeah," Meiko smiled, "And I have you to thank for it, or blame...but all kidding aside, I've always been proud to have you for my sister, Oneechan. You make life a whole lot more...interesting than it was before I met you."

"Oh...well..." Ranko remarked, then added under her breath, "And mom and dad won't even let me walk down a corridor without being monitored...all because I could get snatched up in time to save the world at any minute..."

"So, in other words, you do regularly what our parents only dabbled in back before we were even conceived," Salon shrugged, "And you know how much plane travel affected their lives, right Oniichan?" "Um...yes," Tsuyoma said, staring at Ranko's pendant with a curious expression, "Mind if I ask something? That's the symbol of Thor you're wearing, right? The Teutonic god of thunder..."

"Oh, this?" Ranko smiled, reaching for her pendant and touching the hammer-shaped runic icon, then her hand came away glowing in a blaze, and all at once she was holding a gleaming metallic hammer by its foot-long handle, "This is my special back-up weapon, the one I use when I'm going up against stuff that ain't too impressed with regular martial arts tactics. It's called Silverbolt and it's really nifty for making a hard impression with the locals."

"Wow," Valda leaned forward and studied the weapon, "That looks like Dwarf-made craftsmanship, mind if I see the manufacturing label?"

"Uh...careful," Ranko said as she held her weapon out, "It's feels real heavy if it doesn't know...you?" she blinked as the dark haired biker girl took the hammer without undo difficulty and held it up at an angle for closer inspection.

"You're forgetting, I'm part Aesir," Valda mused as she found an engraved symbol at the base of the haft and smiled, "I knew it! See? That's Olaf Trollsplitter's brand. He marks all of his best weapons with this rune glyph. Yup, quality manufacture all right, and loaded down with enough spells to stock a hardware store in Valhalla. You can definitely go places with this baby," she mused as she passed it back to the astonished Ranko.

"I've got one of my own," Meiko grinned, and touched a symbol on her wrist gauntlet, and moments later out popped a wicked-looking tri-forked long-lance, "I call it Graver, and it comes in pretty handy. Being an apprenticed cadet Valkyrie I've had special training in how to use it..."

"You really have been keeping busy," Ranko said as she caused her hammer to vanish back into her icon, "Just how did you wind up getting turned into a Valkyrie?"

"A friend of mine named Danielle sponsored me," Meiko replied, as she displayed her own weapon then popped it back into its place of concealment, "Danny Moonstar and Lyn Reiko are my two closest friends up in Valhalla, but you don't need to know about the why and wherefore of how it happened. Things have a way of working out if you let them, Sis, it comes with the territory, like being a Saotome."

"Tell me about it," Honeysuckle sniffed, "You guys are definitely odd enough to be a couple of my sisters, and you're no where near as crazy as Nagha or Lina."

"So, what's your specialty?" Cheshire asked.

"Magic," the purple haired girl replied, "I'm an apprenticed mage...and a halfway decent one, if I do say so myself, not that I go in for the spectacular effects like my sisters. I don't blow up as much of the terrain as they tend to do, but I can make my point when I have to."

"Hah, magic," Leona sniffed, "Give me something reliable like a gun or a blaster, and what's so damned special about a hammer anyway?"

"That's right," Maya mused, "You wouldn't understand the principle of a hammer, would you? Not enough moving parts..."

"Oh, har-de-har, you walking hormone factory you," Leona growled before turning to the others and saying, "Back home Maya here's got a reputation as president of the Chem Club, but the kind of chemistry she brews is good for nothing but trouble..."

"You exaggerate, Ozaki," the dusky skinned blonde sniffed, "Occasionally there have been a few...unforeseen complications arising from the test runs of certain of my projects...but for the most part the chemicals I brew work as advertised..."

"Oh sure," Honeysuckle replied, "If your aim is to start an orgy in the girl's gym locker."

"That...was regrettable, and one of the unforeseen complications that I have already mentioned," Maya said with a dismissive wave of her hand, "So I made the mistake of borrowing from one of my fama's old recipe books, so sue me..."

"They almost did," Leona sniffed, "Right up until your mom sicked the lawyers on the parents and faculty who were complaining about those girls you helped knock up..."

"Can we return to the question of what we are doing here?" Yui asked, "I believe the point is still relevant to our present situation."

"Oh, don't worry people," Meiko said cheerfully, "We're just in a part of Limbo that's being used as a holding space, right before the pendant drops us on our target. Every time in the past when this has happened it means that we're being given time to organize and prepare ourselves for some major battle that's about to happen."

"Every time this has happened before?" Ranko looked askance at her supposedly "younger" sister. "Yeah..." Meiko chuckled, "This is so weird me having to explain things to you. Always in the past it's been you filling me in about stuff, but now it feels like I'm the veteran here and you're the first year beginner."

"Um..." Ranko paused and seriously thought that one over.

But then she felt a warm body press up closer to her as a pair of soft lips nuzzled her earlobe and she smelled the curious cinnamon-like perfume of the cat-girl's body as Cheshire cuddled up beside her and mused softly: "I'm ready to go anywhere that you are...Master."

"Ah...Master?" Ranko cocked an eyebrow.

"She seems to be acknowledging you as her rightful owner," Amber mused, "Why, is that a problem?" "Er...actually," Ranko turned towards the Pokegirl, only to react in surprise when Cheshire kissed her on the mouth, "Mmmmpphh?"

"Heheheh," Meiko chuckled while rubbing the back of her head, "She does tend to be affectionate all right, and she hasn't even evolved yet. But don't worry, Oneechan, you'll soon get used to having her around."

"Excuse me?" Ranko broke lip-contact with the other girl and stared at Cheshire with a mixture of alarm and arousal.

"You're her Tamer now," Colt explained from where she had been leaning on the edge of the conversation, keeping one eye out for possible dangers on their horizons, "She's bonded to you, which means that I guess we're both now your legal property...Master."

"Say what?" Ranko blinked. The Centaur gave her a frank look and said, "Where she goes I go. Chesh and me have been a team for years, so if she's going to be your Pokegirl Alpha, then I'll take my place at her side and sign my name right beside hers on the contract."

"Sign your name...?" Ranko dully repeated.

"She's giving herself over to you," Tyger sniffed, "What are you, slow on the uptake?"

"Easy Sister," Amber looked from the stripe-haired girl back to Ranko and said, "When a woman gifts herself to you it is only proper that you accept her generosity and take her own as your property. In doing so you become responsible for their care and feeding, but you are free to take liberties with them as well, which does seem quite agreeable to both of your new concubines..."

"Are you serious?" Reiko asked, "You're talking about slavery!"

"No duh," Tyger grinned rakishly, "What was your first clue?"

"Slavery is outlawed by international law and custom," Yui remarked.

"But we're outlaws," Tyger replied, "We're not bound to the same rules as everyone else."

"That's right," Valda remarked, "You two are supposed to be pirates, right?"

"Actually, our mother prefers the term, 'Import/export low-tariff /free-trade association," Amber replied before shrugging, "But I suppose in a sense you could call us smugglers and pirates..."

"But you kidnap, enslave and sell women!" Salon protested.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Tyger leered, "But don't knock what you don't understand, Landlubber."

"Excuse me?" Leona glared at the self-admitted slaver, "Who says we even want to understand you...and what are you doing here anyway? You're a couple of outlaws and I'm going to be a cop someday so..."

"A cop?" Reiko asked.

"Leona has ambitions to be an officer of the law someday," Maya replied, "Drives her parents crazy, especially her mothers."

"A cop, eh?" Tyger grinned all the more, "So, what are you planning to do, Kitty-cat? Arrest me?"

"If you try anything funny around me I just might," Leona snarled back with a note of challenge.

"Ah...I wouldn't start anything with Tyger if I were you," Amber cautioned, "She might think of you as game, even if you are a cross-dimensional sister."

"I'm not a damned Saotome," Leona shot back, "And I'm not afraid of you, Stripe- hair!"

"Oh really?" Tyger purred softly, and all at once she moved like a shot, surprising everyone with her speed and ferocity as she moved like a blur around Leona, who barely had time enough to react before her clothes were all but shredded off of her body, leaving her skin undamaged, though seconds later she was wrapped up in nylon cords and trussed up naked like a Thanksgiving turkey. "Not afraid of me, eh?" Tyger leered as she leaned over the helpless and prostrate Leona, "Well, maybe we ought to do something about that, shall we?"

"MMMPPPHHMMMPPH!" Leona protested into a ball-gag as she struggled in vain against the ropes that bound her fast with toes tied to her hair and hands roped behind her back.

"Did you see that, Sis?" Reiko asked in breathless dismay.

"Yes," Yui replied in her usual calm tones, "She is very accomplished at tying a knot."

"Sister," Amber said, "That was very rude of you. These are our allies, not prey, and we are not on the ship but on land. Save your hobbies for when they will have more practical applications."

"Aw, but she looks so cute like that," Tyger grinned, "I think I'll keep her."

"MMMPPPHHH!" Leona fervently repeated.

"Sounds to me like you're planning to tame her," Colt shrugged, "If so, then go right ahead, might improve her disposition."

"She's enough like a Pokegirl that it's almost be like watching a sister being tamed," Cheshire mused as she watched the struggling cat-girl with some amusement.

"Are you guys for real?" Honeysuckle asked as she looked askance at her companions.

"Oh, Tyger is quite serious," Amber assured them, "But I don't think this is really the appropriate time for indulging in her personal hobby of collecting girlfriends. At least wait until we are back upon a timeline where that sort of thing is practical, if not legal."

"You should come over to our world," Sometra sniffed, "Salon's mom used to be a slave...back in the days when she fought in the Arena."

"Excuse me?" Salon glanced at her half-sister, "My mother was an Arena fighter, not a slave, and she won her freedom after marrying dad, so just because she wasn't born with a silver set of chopsticks in her mouth like with your mom..."

"Knock it off you two," Tsuyoma turned and said, "Even though slavery is legal in our world doesn't mean that it's right, or any less barbaric as a practice."

"Oh really?" Tyger purred as she studied first Salon and then Sometra with speculative interest, "I think I might like it in your world...such interesting...possibilities..."

Valda shuddered and said, "Remind me not to introduce you to my mother...you two might just hit it off." "What?" Maya blinked, "Aunt Belldandy?"

"Oh yeah," Valda replied, "She's the biggest Hentai in all of Nerima, not straight-laced and sober like my Aunt Urd, or a wild one like my aunt Skuld..."

"Wait a second," Honeysuckle blinked, "Are we talking about the same Belldandy? Beautiful, ethereal and so nice that she makes my Aunt Kasumi look like the queen of bondage?"

"My mother...ethereal?" Valda blinked, "You must be thinking of my grandad. He's the one with the otherworldly conservative morals complex..."

"Well, at least that much is consistent with our timeline," Maya shrugged with a curious expression, "Though for the life of me I can't conceive of my fama as ever being called 'straight-laced'..."

Ranko looked from one Paratime relative to the other only to hear Meiko chuckle, "What did I tell you about different rules for different universes, guys? So in one universe Belldandy's the calm and serene Goddess we all know and love, while in some universes...she's...ah...a little bit different..." "HMMMPPPHHH!" Leona tried to get some attention turned back her way as she writhed helplessly in her too-constrictive state of bondage.

"Er..." Ranko glanced down at the cat-girl then said, "Maybe you should let her up out of that. I'm sure she's learned her lesson by now."

"But I don't want to," Tyger pouted.

"Sister," Amber softly chided.

"Oh, all right," Tyger growled, "But just this once."

She moved again at great speed, only now the ropes around Leona mysteriously vanished as suddenly as they had appeared. Leona gasped and flopped on the ground for a minute as circulation returned to her limbs, then she growled under her breath, "When I get back up...you are one dead pirate..."

"Knock it off," Ranko straightened up, "We're not supposed to be fighting each other, guys, save it for when we meet the bad guys. Now, can somebody do something to get her some clothing?"

"Don't bother," Leona sniffed as she started to get back on her feet, "I'll provide my own, thank you very much..." and with that she reached into the empty space at her side and pulled out a set of clothes from seeming nowhere.

"Huh?" Reiko blinked, "How did she...?"

"Hidden weapons technique," Yui explained for the benefit of her sister, "She did explain that her father is his world's equivalent of Mousse, remember?"

"That's right," Leona growled as she slipped on her new clothing, then paused to reach into the space at her side once again before pulling out a sidearm, "And that's not all I carry-!" Before anyone could react to the sight of the gun in her hand Tyger moved once again, only now Leona was fully clothed while trussed up and suspended by ropes that seemed to dangle in space like a massive spider-web, fully entrapping the cat-girl.

"Thanks," Tyger mused as she twirled the gun on one finger, then made it vanish up into a sleeve, "I think I'll keep this for my collection. What's the matter? Did you think you were the only one who knew hidden weapons techniques? Besides, I was expecting you to try something..."

"I said...knock it off," Ranko arched her tone and took an authoritative stance, "That means the both of you right now."

"Oh yes?" Tyger turned towards the redhead, "And what will you do if we persist?"

"Trust me," Ranko replied, "You don't want to know."

"Uh oh," Meiko eyed her sister nervously, "I know that voice...when Oneechan uses that it's always a good idea to shut up and do what she says..."

"Well, so far I am not impressed," Tyger replied, "And I have many more ropes at my disposal...if you would care to try me?"

"Sister," Amber said in warning.

"Stay out of this," Ranko urged, "Tiger girl and me will settle this ourselves, just like Saotomes."

"And who says I fight like a Saotome?" Tyger smiled as she thrust her hands forward, only to find her target was not where she had expected as a hand came up against the back of her neck and sent her sprawling face-forward in the metaphysical "dirt."

"And who says we'd want you in the club?" Ranko replied, then turned to Leona and said, "And you...shooting people in the head is your idea of behaving?"

Leona was no less stunned than anyone else present, "How did you...?"

"I told you guys," Meiko said, "Mess with Oneechan and you're asking for trouble..."

"Master?" Cheshire asked in surprise.

"So fast...I never even saw you move," Honeysuckle marveled, "Are you sure you're not mage trained? I didn't sense what energy you used, but..."

"I'm a Time Agent," Ranko explained, "Even as a cadet I know all kinds of useful secrets."

"Well...I'm impressed," Tyger replied, then with surprising agility vaulted back to her feet in a roll that was worthy of her namesake. Everyone automatically assumed fighting stances, but Amber raised her hand and said, "There's no need, Tyger won't attack again. She learned her lesson this time around...didn't you, Sister?"

"If you mean not to underestimate Red here, you bet," the pirate slaver rubbed the back of her head and eyed Ranko with more respect than before, "Nice love- tap, but I've been hit worse that that in practice." "I wasn't aiming to hurt you, just knock some sense into you," Ranko shook her head, "You're just as impossible as the other versions of you I've run into, right down to your basic fighting technique..." "You've encountered versions of me before?" Tyger arched both eyebrows, "Now I really will have to keep an eye on you, Sister...which isn't such a bad idea what you come down to it as I've been watching your back for entirely different reasons..."

"I'll just bet you have," Ranko said sourly, not wanting to elaborate on the exact nature of some of her "previous encounters" with remarkably similar versions of the notorious "Tyger-Tiger."

"My sister will respect your authority...for now," Amber remarked, "She respects the pecking order of a superior fighter, if nothing else, and I will offer my own parole on her good behavior."

"You presume a lot, Sister," Tyger smiled slyly, "But you are right, I do respect a superior fighter...and there are not many that I can credit with that title."

"Is that all you respect?" Sometra asked, "A superior fighter?"

"Not at all," Tyger replied, "I respect beauty and intelligence, and I respect the sound that a whip makes when it cracks across the pert behind of a comely slave in training..."

"Oh, for the love of..." Reiko growled, "Why is she here? We don't need this...Pirate on our side, she's just as likely to sell us out!"

"You are assuming that she has any more choice in the matter than we do, Sister," Yui pointed out, "And from all the indications that we have gathered so far, it would seem that we very much will need her to fight beside us. Similarly, it stands to reason that the enemy is of such a nature that we will need to marshal all our resources to defeat it."

"Now there is a logical argument," Tyger gestured towards the pale haired girl, "So refreshing to find someone who thinks clearly and rationally about the issues. You don't find enough of that anymore, you others should heed her wise counsel."

Ranko finished unraveling the webbing holding Leona in place, then she gave a warning look at the cat-girl before saying, "Stay sharp everybody. We don't have time to waste with petty brawls and all this, we need to be ready in case we start another transfer."

"Speaking of which," Tsuyoma said as he broke his own silence, "What do you suppose became of that tank and those two mecha we found on those other worlds? I can't believe that your pendant went to all the trouble of gathering them up only to drop them to the bottom of that ocean."

"You know, that is a pretty damned good point," Meiko glanced around, "I wonder what did happen to..." KAWAMMM!

Like that the tank in question landed with a massive thump, even as the two giant robots materialized slightly off to either side of them, flanking the Posse like silent guardians of immense size and infinite foreboding.

"Ah...well...that answers that question," Maya remarked matter-of-factly.

Leona at once went from glowering to effusive as she turned to the tank and cried, "Oh, baby! You came back! Come to momma, you beautiful thing you!"

Colt blinked her eyes then said, "What does she think it's going to do, come running up to jump into her lap?"

"You ask me she's a few Tamings short of going feral," Cheshire confided.

"Hey, neat!" Reiko called out and said, "Glad you're back, big guy! Gimme palm!"

The huge Mecha came alive and knelt down, alarming the others though all it did was present its massive hand palm-up for her to leap onto, even as Yui's Mecha did likewise. "Really Sister," the powder-blue haired ethereal girl chided as she mentally commanded her Mecha to lift her up towards its chest access portal.

"Guess that means we're about to storm the beaches," Meiko turned to Ranko and said, "Ready to lead the troops, mein General?"

"As ready as I suppose I'll ever be...Lieutenant," Ranko grumbled in response.

"We're ready to follow your lead, Master," Cheshire said brightly.

"Ah..." Ranko turned to the Pokegirl and said, "Do you mind telling me what's this Master business is all about? And just why are you guys so quick to throw your lot in with me anyhow?"

"It's the nature of what we are," Colt replied, "On our world, generations ago, a mad scientist named Sukeba created the first breed of Pokegirls and caused the genes to be widely spread out among the general population. These days very few normal human girls survive on their own, while Pokegirls are everywhere and breed wild through parthenogenesis, unless they have human fathers, like Chesh here." "And you?" Valda asked, "How were you fathered?"

"As far as I know I wasn't," Colt replied, "My mother was a Pokegirl named Kasumi, the older clutch sister to Cheshire's mom, and we've been together ever since we were children. Our mothers were even part of the same Harem..."

"Does that stand to reason that you're also a daughter of Saotome Ranma?" Meiko asked.

"My genetic scan is...indeterminate about that," Colt replied, "But I suppose it was possible. After all, I started out like a normal girl until I hit Threshold..."

"Where I was the one who tamed her," Cheshire noted.

"Wait...I don't get this," Ranko pleaded, "Taming, threshold, Pokegirls..."

"Whoops," Honeysuckle spoke up, "Don't look now but I'm getting that feeling again..."

"You mean we're shifting?" Tsuyoma asked.

"Sure feels like it to me," Valda replied, turning to smile as she said, "At least they thought to provide me with transportation," and the rest of them saw her motorcycle had appeared, as though waiting her to board it.

"About time if you ask me!" the projected voice of Reiko called out from her Mecha.

"Yes," Yui called down from her own Mecha, "The battle is finally beginning."

Ranko could only sigh to that as she glanced at Meiko and said, "Once more into the breach."

"Anytime, anywhere with you, Oneechan," Meiko flashed back with a smile as reality itself shifted and folded all around them...

Continuum #52413783 Gate of Ashkalon

"NABIKI!" I hear Saotome shout her name, getting a reaction, and I feel the first stirrings of conscious brain functions in his lady wife, even through all the forcefield screens that are currently holding her immobile. "Dammit, Nabiki! Don't let this bastard use you like he does everyone else!" the guy persists, desperation and that stubborn streak of his making him refuse to give up even though there's no outward sign so far that his words are getting through to his lady. He's literally pouting out enough raw Chi energy to make a nuclear inferno look like a firecracker, but the forces aligned against him are diverting his own power away to reinforce its integrity, meaning that he's literally fighting himself in order to break out of there. I don't know whether to be impressed or appalled that he must realize this, but he's still trying! "Stop shouting, you fool!" Celestine snaps, "I cannot afford to have her be distracted at this critical point. Do you have any idea what could happen if the delicate web of conjoined forces that I've woven together should collapse at this juncture? Do you even care what would happen to your lady?" "She's my wife, damn you!" Ranma snarls has struggles to free himself, "I won't let you have your way with her like you did Belldandy...!" "But I'm doing this for you as well as her, and for all the people of the various alternate worlds whose lives were spoiled by the fundamental flaw set into the creation..." "You think I'm gonna trust that a guy like you can do any better?" Saotome spits back with a savage snarl, "You use people like they were computer chips to make your great wonder machine, and you can't even see why I might have a little problem with that? You make me sick!" "Who are you to take that tone with me?" Celestine fires back, "You used people freely and exploited your curse to play on peoples' sympathies, Saotome. I know more about you than you realize, just as I know that you never really cared for any of your fianc es, not even the one you married!" "I cared about all of them!" Ranma fires back in renewed outrage as he struggles again against the forces that are holding him in check. "Oh did you?" Celestine's tone drips with contempt, "From the day you set foot in the Tendo house your only concern was for yourself and overcoming the curse that had been inflicted upon you by your father. You couldn't bring yourself to tell your Akane that the reason you refused to connect with her was that you felt inadequate and emasculated by your curse. You were too afraid that she would laugh at you or despise you for your curse, and so you rejected her in advance, hoping that would spare you the pain of having to admit to your true feelings!" "Yes!" Ranma snarls back, "You're right, I was a fool and a heel! I mooched off the Tendos because I didn't have the guts to run away from Pop and seek out my mother. I believed his tissue-paper thin lies because I didn't want to be alone in the world, but I couldn't let go of my pride, and my ego wouldn't stand for it. What more do you want from me, a signed confession?" "And the other girls who sought your affections?" Celestine replies. "I screwed it up with all of them! I didn't take either Ukyo or Shampoo seriously, I just thought they wanted something from me that I couldn't give them! I didn't think about the effect my actions had on either of them, how I dishonored and led them on without coming clean about my feelings! I took advantage of their generosity for free eats, and I refused to pay the piper when it came calling! I never even thought of how much it would hurt Ucchan to have her be the best man at my wedding, I thought it would help her to get over me, and when Shampoo stopped coming around to bother me I was secretly glad of it! It was only later that I started to miss her!" "And what about that other girl...Kodachi?" Celestine arches his tone as if playing his trump card. I see Saotome biting his lip, but having come clean this far the compulsion to be honest draws it out of him, "Yeah...I never took her seriously either. She was all messed up inside, a real basket case of emotional problems, and I wanted nothing to do with her...but I never stopped to ask what made her that way, I just fobbed it off as mental insanity that ran in the Kuno family, like with her brother. She scared me and I didn't even know why, but only later I realized what she wanted was a friend, and I couldn't even be that for her! I was too wrapped up in my own problems." "So," Celestine concludes, "What makes any of them less worthy than your Nabiki?" "She was just like me...all screwed up inside and incomplete, and full of a lot of kuso that she took for granted so she wouldn't have to see the truth about herself. She was smart and sexy but had the instincts of a shark and tended to drive people away from getting to know the real her. She kept people at arm's length because she was afraid to let them know the real her, and all anybody could see when they looked at her was what she wanted them to see. She wasn't transparent like me, but we were a lot alike and never even knew it! That's why I'm with her now...because she fought as hard as me to get here, and in the end all we've really got is each other!" "Fascinating," Celestine says more calmly, "You have grown up somewhat from the self-centered youth I knew, but still...all of that was so unnecessary, such a waste of potential. You never really had the chance to get to know any of these girls when it would have made a difference. You were left to stumble blindly through life without a clue or hint at what you should do. Even heaven was silent when it could have offered you the guidance you so desperately needed..." "Yeah, well, it ain't a perfect universe..." Saotome concedes. "But that's exactly my point!" Celestine pounces on the opening that he's just been so obligingly given, "The universe is flawed, imperfect! How can mortals such as you find their way when the gods themselves are flawed in their judgement? How can the gods judge and condemn you for behaving like a spoiled child since that is what you are, the victim of the myopic obsessions of others. Would you have really chosen your destiny if someone had explained to you in advance just what mistakes you were doing before you did them?" "No," Ranma replies, "I'd be different, I know that. I woulda found a way of making it right between me and Ucchan. I woulda found some way for Shampoo to keep her honor, and I'd have helped Kodachi and Akane get the medical help they needed, even if I had to drag them and Kuno to the shrink for the right medication." "Then what are you struggling for?" Celestine asks, "Relax and embrace the new destiny that I am creating..." "No way," Ranma says in a calmer voice, but with just as much resolution, "You can't just give people paradise on a golden platter. If it ain't earned by hard work then it ain't worth keeping...I learned that from Pop, and it was the only real lesson he ever taught me, even if it was by being a bad example. If we don't make mistakes we don't learn nothing, and we ain't never gonna be anything but children to you gods, who take your superiority for granted!" "But don't you see?" Celestine sounds more desperate, "It the world I would create there will be no curses, no Jusenkyo, and no need for you to have one, or for martial artists. You would never have abandoned your Ukyo and her father would not have died at a young age, which was the reason why he tried to offer her up to your father for training in the first place. You would have solved your differences with the Amazons peaceably and gone your way without incident, and when you met your Akane you would have made a lasting friendship with her, and with the family of Kuno!" "Yeah, sounds ideal, don't it?" Ranma snorts, "But that's what you want us to think...a life without pain, a life without struggle or hardship, but what is pain but nature's way of telling us we're doing it wrong?" "You would prefer the pain?" Celestine isn't the only one who looks at Ranma a little funny, "With all that you have suffered?" "Life is pain!" Ranma shoots back, "Anybody tells you different is trying to sell you something. I learned that from Nabiki." "I cannot believe this!" Celestine's tone is flat disbelief, "You nearly died a hundred times in your life, yet you would go through all of that...just to remain what you are now?" "And what's so special about what you have to offer, huh?" Saotome snarls, "You tell me things could have been better? Well no kuso! You want me to see that I shoulda turned left when I turned right? That I made more mistakes than any clown has a right to make in his lifetime, and that I caused a bunch of people to suffer because of that? Well, better me than the other guy! And that's the point, ain't it? In a Multiverse the wrong choices have to exist along with the right ones! One version of me does the right thing, another me just keeps blundering on from one crisis to the next, shooting my mouth off and getting whacked for it. But you know what? I don't want to lose my pain...I need my pain, it's what helps define me!" "Son-in-law?" I hear Peorth say with more respect in her voice than I'd usually hear when addressing her adopted daughter's husband. I've been quiet up until now, wanting to see just how far this will go, but finally I feel compelled to speak up, "You quoting Star Trek on us now?" "Hey, it's like Nabby, always says," he smiles grimly, "When you gotta plagiarize, steal from the classics." "I don't believe this," Celestine sneers, "You are quoting that third-rate fictitious drivel at a moment when the very nature of the cosmos hangs in balance?" I'd thought Saotome looked angry before, but now I can see his eyes are blazing as he snarls, "DON'T TALK TRASH ABOUT THE CAPTAIN!" And that's the moment when he finally breaks the impasse, having relaxed his efforts to the point where the field's integrity has been drained to nearly nothing, so the sudden flare of raw force catches it and shatters it like discovering the flaw of a perfect diamond, and the resulting cataclysm is like the sound of breaking glass all around us, and like that he's free and striking like an uncoiled tiger. Celestine never even has a chance to react before he goes down from the blow aimed at his jaw by a vengeful Saotome. But before the guy can get off a second shot he suddenly finds Belldandy blocking his path again, and it's with great effort that he tries to pull back from hitting her, creating the perfect opening she needs to blast him with a point-blank counterattack. I see the blast pick Saotome up and hurl him away, and for a moment he looks stunned on his feet, having managed to absorb a blast that could have knocked a hole through a good-sized mountain. It's times like this that I'm reminded that you should never judge by appearances, because as soft and demure as Bell might appear to most eyes, you should never forget that, at the core, you're dealing with a First Class Goddess! "Belldandy!" Peorth steps into the fray, "Have you gone insane? Let Ranma do what's necessary..." Her attempt to approach her fellow goddess meets with a harsh rebuff as a wave of energy catches Peorth and knocks her down like a leaf struck by a rake. Belldandy turns to confront her with her eyes and fists blazing, and she looks to be totally under Celestine's spell now, but I can see that this, too, is just a facade and play my own trump card to help turn the tables. "Goddess!" I call out, "Think of what you are doing, and who you are doing it to! Do you really mean to hurt Peorth, your friend?" The goddess hesitates and stands immobile, her features blank though I see a crease of confusion blemish her otherwise perfectly serene exterior. "That's right!" I persist, fighting to free my feet and wrists from the jello- like goo that's holding me immobile, "Look at her...look at Peorth! Remember what she means to you? What you meant to each other? What you shared when you were together?" Belldandy continues to hesitate, but Peorth is looking at me nervously now and saying, "What I what? Wait a minute...!" "P-Peorth?" Belldandy's voice has a hollow quality to it, but she's no longer frowning quite so intently. "That's right," I persist, "Peorth...goddess of Roses, Goddess First Class, someone you trained with together. Only it was more than just training you shared, wasn't it? She means something to you...something very dear and precious..." "Um...what are you doing?" Peorth looks at me as if I'm the one who needs to check into the booby hatch, "I don't..." "Peorth...is it really you?" I hear the slightly slurred quality of Belldandy's speech and play the hunch that I've been building all along now. "That's why you fell prey to Celestine's manipulations, wasn't it? Because you missed Peorth, you missed the woman you loved, the woman who made your life so special..." "N-N-No, wait a minute!" Peorth starts waving her hands as she turns back to Belldandy, "It wasn't like that for me, really, Belldandy..." "And that's why you freed Celestine from his prison and unleashed him on the plane you come from," I continue, "Because your longing for Peorth made you forget your vows as a goddess..." "I...what?" now Peorth looks shocked as she glances as me then turns to look up at Belldandy. "I...I...I...remember..." Belldandy's voice is soft and distant, yet I can see that something buried is awakening inside her, which tells me that the time has come to play my own trump card. "But you wanted to forget, didn't you?" I say, "Because the guilt for what you did consumed your mind, forcing Celestine to bury the memories deep inside you so that he could use you again. He made you forget what happened...how things went sour...and what happened to the Peorth of your world as a consequence." "What...happened...to...no..." the goddess shapes the word with her mouth, her eyes suddenly wide with horror. "Belldandy..." Celestine says as he starts to rise back to his feet. "No...NOOOO!" she sinks to her knees clutching at her face with her hands, the horror flooding through her mind as I can feel her grief hit like a palpable wave, causing the very sky itself to darken, "PEORTH-NOOOO! I KILLED YOU!" "W-W-What...?" I hear Peorth gasp in no little dismay and alarm. "Belldandy," Celestine speaks calmly but I can feel him exerting his influence, "You're wrong, you didn't kill Peorth...she's right here in front of you..." "NO!" Belldandy turns and stares at him with fear and revulsion, "You killed her! I saw you strike her down! It was all my fault, I betrayed my love...!" "Yes, I killed her," Celestine replies, "I didn't want to, but she gave me little choice. I needed her to complete the spell that we were crafting, but she was too unreasonable, she fought too hard, and when those Senshi pawns of mine started to rebel...I did what I had to do..." "What you had to do?" Belldandy repeats, "You...you let those THINGS get through your wards! They started tearing our world apart, I could feel the spirit of the earth crying out in protest! And it's just like before...you're trying to build the same device all over again, but it's going to fail you again-and destroy everything this time! HOW COULD YOU?" The force that had been building up inside her suddenly erupts into his face, and Celestine is knocked back once again, only this time I can see the constructed image of his projected self begin to falter, and for a brief moment I can see the eleven year old girl he occupies arising to the surface. "Meiko-chan!" Saotome cries as he chooses that moment to regain his own bearings and starts to lumber forward. "Stay your hand, you fool!" Celestine thrusts a palm out and it is crackling with energy as he tries to recover the integrity of his self-image, "If you strike me then it will be your own daughter who will pay the penalty!" That stops Ranma in his tracks as effectively as the stuff that's holding me immobile, and the warring emotions of rage and concern wage a battle for supremacy on his rugged features, leaving him to mutter impotently, "You bastard!" "How could you?" Belldandy asks, "I never suspected you were capable of such cruelty. How can this be you, Celestine? You're not the man who I remember..." "I am the same god you knew, Bell-chan," Celestine insists, "Nothing's changed for me, I still have my ideals..." "Ideals that you would kill for?" Belldandy asks, "Then I never really...knew you at all...did I...ooohhh...?" All at once the goddess wavers on her feet and then starts to topple to the floor, surprising Peorth, who moves to catch her. "Belldandy?!" she asks as she clutches her fellow goddess into her embrace and kneels down to inspect her for possible injuries. "She has exhausted herself," Celestine informed us, "She extended too much power and must now rest to recover herself. What a shame...I never meant for her to see this side of me, or to remember..." "You sunovabitch," Ranma growls softly. "I suppose to the likes of you I am," Celestine replies, "But I still believe in the necessity of what I must do. I...I know that it went wrong before...but this time...I will make it right..." "Because you have the Ginzuishou?" I ask, "Which you stole from its rightful owner?" "The Ginzuishou?" Peorth looks alarmed as she glances back up at Celestine, "You would dare to wield it...even knowing what it might do to your host?" "Some sacrifices in the name of peace are necessary," Celestine explains, "You must try and find it in your heart to one day forgive me..." "In a pigs eye!" Saotome declares on our behalf. "Be that as it may," Celestine replies, "Why you have been arguing and debating this with me the spell that I have shaped is near to completion. Now all that remains is for us to sit back and watch as I unleash it upon the very cosmos and..." All at once we see his expression go from calm certainty to wild panic as he stares up at the pyramid and cries out, "W-What? She is awakening? But...how?" I hear Ranma's voice turn skyward as he also says, "Nabiki?" And then I feel it too...and I'm pretty sure Peorth does with us...the exertion of a mind and intelligence working contrary to the spell that Celestine set in place with our involuntary assistance, unraveling the complex tapestry of interlocking formulas and equations, literally taking the thing apart like a massive Jengo puzzle, unleashing the forces it contains in one very impressive display that causes the very fabric of time and space itself to momentarily tremble... * * * She could feel her hold slipping...she was not strong enough to work this spell by herself. The forces were too great, too unimaginable, far too complex even for the understanding of a Lore Master, and the fibers of her human mind were not resilient enough to handle the stress. If she worked herself any further into the weave she would literally tear her own mind apart within her skull and explode like a supernova. But there was an alternative to bearing this strain by herself, a choice she sensed was open to her like a stray strand of possibility dangled before her eyes, mesmerizing her like a loadstone. At once she relaxed then summoned upon this powerful ley line, drawing closer to her the very source code of her own individual existence. Tapping into this wellspring she opened a doorway... "MOTHER...COME FORTH AND MERGE WITH YOUR DAUGHTER!" she intoned, and willed the transition to happen... ...Even as the Goddess Peorth heard and felt the call, then murmured faintly, "Nabiki-chan? Nabiki! Daughter!" and vanished, allowing Belldandy to slump to the floor, still very much unconscious. Nabiki felt the surge come over her as Peorth manifested around her, submerging and taking over her task as the Goddess's more complex internal wiring fortified and reinforced Nabiki's neural synapses, restoring brain functions to full maximum and unleashing her full potential. The two became as one being for a time and then they opened their eyes...and Peorth saw the unraveling spell through the eyes of a Lore Master, with the powers of a full goddess! With an ease that would have astonished either one of them individually they began to work the spell and craft it into a new pattern, allowing the individual strands to fall away and remerge with the cosmos, the Superstring of Reality weaving itself back into the fabric of the Multiversal timespace. Peorth wove the very air with her hands and reshaped the spell according to the dictates of her expanded awareness, then her voice began to sing out loud the song of creation as was written upon the very code of her genetic being. "What is she doing?" Celestine asked in amazement. "She undoing the damage you caused, fool," I shoot back. "Nabiki..." I hear Saotome's worry and hopes mingle together on that name. "No...I can't let her!" Celestine cries out, only to find his arms are pinned to his sides as Ranma moves to grapple him from behind, wrestling with the god as the madman tries to struggle for his freedom. "No way, you ain't doing nothing!" Ranma snarls into the other man's ears. "Let me go, you fool!" Celestine cries, "If they slip by so much as an inch in their crafting then the safety protocols and anti-virus spells that I'm using will go down, and if that should happen...!" I hear a cracking noise from close nearby, even as I feel Celestine's grip on the spells holding me in place began to waver. I waste no time freeing myself, employing my Greystar and Sword to shatter the gooey mass that's been holding me rooted to the spot the whole time. I just manage to get myself clear from the mess when that noise intensifies...and I start to turn, knowing that I am not going to like what I see as I seek the source of that cracking... The Gate of Ashkelon is crumbling before our very eyes, and even as I look I can feel the stirring of the Shadow begin to flow through the resulting gap, and the Things of the Outer Dark are looking back at me...and I can feel their hate...as well as their unspeakable hunger... Continued. Comments/Criticisms/Call of C'thulu Hotlines: shadowmane The Heroes Return...just in time to meet the Horde of the Outer Dark, but will they save the day or wind up as an appetizer for the main course? Can even Ranma withstand the onslaught of the gibbering tide that threatens to overwhelm an entire reality? Find out next time in: "Bad Vibrations," or, "Chaos Comes Crawling!" Be there! X -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction webpage at: ~ All related chapters of this series can be found there along with my other works. 


	19. Chapter 19

**RanWarp19**

**Realities Warped!**

**By**

**Jim Robert Bader**

**(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi**

**and other artists too numerous to mention.**

**The Characters Chakar Shadowmane and**

**Garimel Shalestar, however, were created by**

**me, while Trella (RA Curtis) provided some**

**of the characters and ideas that appear within this**

**chapter, based on her series "Aiyaa, My Goddess!"**

**and inspired by the fanfics authored by Gregg Sharp,**

**Steve Thesken, Andy Kent and other such creative**

**talents to whom no blame and/or credit can be**

**attributed. The Gods of Law prohibit use by other,**

**parties while Chaos, on the other hand, won't give a hang, **

**though you still might get you flamed by certain of my **

**pre-readers, and that is a fate to be avoided, believe**

**me! You have been duly warned!)**

**Chapter Nineteen.**

**Darkness beyond Twilight**

**Continuum #52413783**

**Gate of Ashkalon**

**I knew we didn't have much time, the gates were crumbling and those Things were **

**crossing over into this world and dimension, and if that should take place then **

**all hell literally would break loose upon the tarmac!**

**"Saotome!" I shouted.**

**"Yeah," he said as he held the struggling Celestine immobile, "I can feel **

**it...bad news is coming our way."**

**"Let me go, you fools!" Celestine cried as he struggled in vain to break **

**Saotome's grip of iron, "You'll need my power to fend them off!"**

**"Like I'd trust you now?" Ranma growled, "You're still holding somebody dear to **

**me, and I ain't letting go until I get my Meiko-chan back!"**

**Saotome let go with one hand and reached for the pendant gleaming on the mad **

**god's breast, but the moment gave Celestine the opportunity he needed to break **

**loose and repel the leather-jacketed martial artist.**

**"Fool!" Celestine cried, "If you won't listen to me, then I know someone else **

**who will get your attention!"**

**I should have acted to stop him, but at the moment I was a wee bit distracted **

**with estimating the time we had until those Things broke loose through the **

**fallen barriers. Overhead, Nabiki...or Peorth...or the hybrid of the two of **

**them...was doing something to the pattern, reweaving it in some essential way, **

**but when Celestine cut loose the guy undid his own spell and caused his pyramid **

**to collapse, freeing those who had been trapped inside the construct to fall all **

**around us like bad pennies raining down from the heavens.**

**"What the...hell?" I hear Saotome voice aloud, sentiments that I am quite **

**certain are being voiced at the same time by all of his counterparts and **

**hangers-on, each of whom I can vaguely identify by their quantum dimensional **

**signature, though for the most part I'd say that universal confusion is about to **

**break loose with a vengeance...**

**ROLL CALL: (Sound off)**

Ranma "Doc" Saotome-Son of Professor Genma &amp; Nodoka, boy-wonder man of action

Ranma Saotome-Son of Genma &amp; Nodoka, ordinary guy, third Dan blackbelt Kempo Karate

Ranma "Superan" Saotome-Son of Kal-El &amp; Nodoka, demi-Kryptonian superpowers

Ranma Saotome-Samurai son of the Ronin Genma &amp; Nodoka, heir to Saotome Kenjuitsu

Ranma Eponius Gaius Tiberius Saotome-Roman citizen, son of Uther and Nadia Saotome

Ranma Saotome-Son of Genma &amp; Nodoka, Mage, Heir to Anything Goes Thaumaturgy

Ranma Saotome-Son of Genma &amp; Nodoka, man-sized Hobbit version

Akane Tendo-Tennis star and heir to the Anything Goes Ryu

Akane Tendo-Youngest daughter of Tendo family, practitioner of Anything Goes Ryu

Akane "Hammer" Tendo-Girlfriend to "Superan," can create Psychic Hammers

Akane Tendo-Youngest daughter of Tendo Clan, Samurai in training

Agripina Tendo-Youngest daughter of House Tendo, Roman citizen

Akane "Dwarf" Tendo-Enchanted daughter of House Tendo, Dwarven skills and abilities

Nabiki "Ham" Tendo-Student of Law and Industrial Engineering

Nabiki Tendo-Middle sister of Tendo family, master of graft and evasion

Nabiki "Slave" Tendo-Brilliant Designer, willing assistant/submissive to "Black Rose" Kodachi

Nabiki Tendo-Middle daughter of Clan Tendo, skilled with the Naginata

Messalina Tendo-Daughter of House Tendo, Roman Citizen, indentured slave to Nocturna Kuno

Nabiki Tendo-Student of Numerology and Financial Wizardry

Nabiki "Goblin" Tendo-Enchanted daughter of House Tendo, Goblin skills and abilities

Xian Pu-Daughter of Dr. Ko-Hom of the Joketsuzoku, Ph.D. in Theoretical &amp; Applied Physics

Shampoo "Velvet Pussy"-Chinese Amazon blessed by the power of Bubastis, Were-woman

Xian Pu-Daughter of the Joketsuzoku tribe, common-law wife to Gaius Saotome

Shampoo "Valkyrie"-Chinese Amazon, Valkyrie abilities and endowments

Ukyo "Long Wire" Saotome-Adopted sister to Doc Saotome, Mistress of Electronics

Ukyo "Iron Chef" Kuonji-Brilliant engineer and inventor, Master Chef, part-time Superheroine

Ukyo "Ranger" Kuonji-Enchanted chef turned Dunedin Ranger, half-Elven

**KIDS OF THE NEXT GENERATION:**

Arashi Saotome-Daughter of Ranma &amp; Shampoo, Mistress of Science

Kinma Saotome-Son of Ranma &amp; Shampoo, Arashi's twin brother

Li Kung Saotome-Son of Ranma &amp; Nabiki, Martial Artist Film Star

Vidori Saotome-Son of Ranma &amp; Kodachi, Green Lantern

Tetsu Saotome-Son of Ranma &amp; Ukyo, Machinesmith

Akai Saotome-Daughter of Ranma &amp; Akane, Martial Artist/Telekinetic

Murai Saotome-Daughter of Ranma &amp; Shampoo, Cat-girl

Kiiro Hibiki-Daughter of Ryoga &amp; Akane, demi-Ogre

Rikona (Stormrider) Saotome-Son of Ranma &amp; Nabiki, Ninja

Conan Saotome-Son of Gaius &amp; Xian-Pu, Doctor &amp; Swordsman

Sonja Saotome-Daughter of Gaius &amp; Xian-Pu, Swordswoman, twin to Conan

Ambrosias "Lo-Nar" Saotome-Son of Ranma &amp; Shampoo, Wandering Mage

Mithril Saotome-Daughter of Ranma &amp; Kasumi, half stone giant

**"What the hell..." Ranma looked around in dismay, finding himself back at that **

**weird checkerboard plane where he and the others had been what felt like only a **

**few minutes before the present.**

**"I think we've missed a few chapters here, Ranma-kun," the version of Nabiki **

**standing beside him murmured uneasily, "Something's definitely going down here **

**and...who's the hunk in the leather jacket?"**

**"Hunk?" the Goblin Nabiki reacted, "What hunk-HOLY MOMMA!"**

**"I hear you, girlfriend," yet another Nabiki (this one wearing an odd style of **

**robes) all but drooled, "Looks a little like...Ranma-kun? But that can't be **

**right...he's too old...though kinda handsome in a grim, fatalistic, totally buff **

**kind of way..."**

**"Whoah," said the version of Ukyo wearing coveralls, "Is that you, Doc? Is that **

**what you're gonna look like when you get...bigger?"**

**"Huh?" Doc Saotome responded, "That guy?"**

**"Oh my," said Xian Pu beside him, totally beside herself as she was far from **

**immune from the mysterious allure cast off by the stranger who did look like a **

**far more mature form of Ranma, albeit there was an aura of danger and sadness **

**that she could feel radiating from the core of his being.**

**"That man is me...as I will be in a few years?" Gaius marveled.**

**"Who do you think it is, Baka?" one of the Akanes remarked, though she was **

**trying very hard to remain stoical and aloof about this stranger, reminding **

**herself that she was not a drooling pervert like either of her sisters...**

**"Father?" asked the dark haired girl known as Arashi.**

**"Dad?" Ambrosias raised more than an eyebrow.**

**"It is our father...and yet it's not," Sonya glanced at her fraternal twin **

**brother, Conan, "What make you of this?"**

**"I'd say our father has a bit of growing to do to reach that phase," Conan **

**replied, "But all will be for nothing if we do not act quickly and rally **

**ourselves against the villain of this piece, who stands over yonder."**

**"This miscreant who has caused all of this mischief you mean?" Samurai Ranma frowned.**

**"Somebody who definitely needs to be taken down a peg," Superan agreed as he **

**smacked fist-to-palm, "Who's with me?"**

**"You can count me in," the Wizard Ranma replied, rolling up his literal sleeves **

**and preparing for some serious spell-casting.**

**"Never mind the James Dean clone of Dad, guys," Murai murmured to her siblings, **

**"Who's the other hunk...the guy in the cape?"**

**"Must be a Renaissance fair going on somewhere," Akai shrugged, "He probably got lost."**

**"Think we should stay focused here on the main topic, guys," Tetsu informed his **

**sisters, "You with me, Vidori?"**

**"With you, Bro," Vidori said as he flashed his power ring and prepared to employ it.**

**"I feel like borrowing a page from Dad's book and doing some smashing myself," **

**Kiiro mused as she flexed one yellow bicep and brought both fists together with **

**a mighty smacking noise.**

**"I think not," Celestine grimly smiled, "As the father is author to the child, **

**so does the son reflect the future to his past...so to with the mothers, and yet **

**always they stand in opposition..."**

**"Hold on a moment!" Ambrosias called out, "He's casting a spell!"**

**"You sure?" asked Rikona Stormrider.**

**"Trust me, I am!" Li Kung responded, "I've heard enough of them being rehearsed **

**in my movies..."**

**"...Let the Child be agent to the future yet unborn," Celestine recited, "Let **

**their minds be turned to the fate that yet awaits them...by the power, Let it be so!"**

**There was a crackling of energy and the assembled youths flinched as if **

**anticipating something devastating was about to occur. When it seemed as if **

**nothing did they started to straighten up and glance around, then one of the **

**Akane's grumbled, "That's it? What a dud! I thought gods could cast better **

**spells than that!"**

**"Yeah, no fooling," another Akane agreed, "Nothing seems to have happened..."**

**"You're wrong about that," a third Akane glanced around with a wary expression, **

**"Something did happen...I can feel it, can't you?"**

**"Good call," the Ukyo who was dressed like a woodlands hunter replied with a **

**wary glance over her shoulder, "I felt something happen just now...but what...?"**

**"Uh...guys?" yet another Akane pointed skyward, "Does it look to you **

**like...maybe the sun is a little too close over our heads at the moment? **

**Because I'm either suffering from sunstroke, or...that looks like Oneechan up **

**there in the air...floating?"**

**"Aiyaa," the Shampoo wearing the Valkyrie armor remarked, "Is very like Nabiki, **

**but no like her at same time...is stranger, yes?"**

**"Not a stranger..." one of the Nabiki's swallowed before saying, "M-Momma...?"**

**They got no further than this when, without further warning, all hell broke **

**loose in the midst as the children of the older generation came to life and **

**struck at their elders, who were not prepared to receive such punishment.**

**Kiiro was the first to strike, smashing a yellow fist down onto the ground and **

**causing shockwaves to fan out and catch everyone off-guard in the immediate **

**radius of the blast zone. Doc Saotome was caught off-guard when Arashi made a **

**lightning dragon kick that caught him full in the chest and sent him sprawling **

**flat out on his back. Xian-Pu started to react when the boy named Kinma blocked **

**her path, and all of a sudden his fist came rocketing up at her chin from **

**seeming nowhere.**

**"Holy-what the heck?" said the Time-Cop Ranma.**

**"So that's what you were up to," frowned Shadowmane, "Using the Ginzuishou to **

**control the minds of those kids so they wind up attacking their own parents?"**

**"I am not controlling their thoughts," Celestine insisted, "I am merely playing **

**with their perceptions of reality. They act as they believe they must in **

**accordance to the illusions that are now controlling their minds. You see, I **

**thought of everything, including this contingency..."**

**"Oh yeah?" Ranma scowled, "Well, you're not gonna get away with that, you-!"**

**All at once he pitched forward as a blast from the green power ring wielded by **

**Vidori felled him from behind. Celestine just smiled and said, "If I were you, **

**I would worry more about what your own offspring can do, Saotome. And as for you-"**

**Shadowmane did not wait for him to finish before attacking this time, knowing **

**that he had to finish this fight quickly before someone got seriously hurt, but **

**even as he flashed his saber and aimed it at the pendant on the chest of the mad **

**god he found his way was blocked unexpectedly by a young man in a Ninja costume **

**wielding a pair of Sai-swords and looking as if he meant business...**

**Okay, so I suppose it must have seemed clever to Celestine that he got a kid to **

**fight his battles for him. He must know that I have a thing against hurting **

**people who don't have it coming, part of my Assassin's code since I usually **

**prefer to do dirt only to the guys who deserve the hurting. And to give due **

**credit where it was do, this kid was pretty good. I found that out in a few **

**quick passes where he managed to block and deflect my strikes with flawless ease **

**and perfect timing, even setting me up for a counter-stroke that would have **

**probably caught me napping if I were only a few centuries or so less experienced **

**in the business.**

**Problem is, Celestine miscalculated big time in pitting me against a Ninja. **

**Those few passes were all it took for me to assess the kid's skill level, and **

**then I'm all over him like a cheap suit and in a few quick moves I've laid him **

**out like a lightbulb, wishing him a fond voyage into the dreamlands of Morpheus, **

**knowing full well that he'd recover his wits with a bit of nap-time.**

**"Bad move," I snarl as I advance on my real quarry, who backs away, seeing how **

**pissed I am, "But I created Ninjutsu, and there's no way the kid could have **

**taken me if he had a hundred years more practice."**

**"I see," Celestine replies as he pauses to summon up his sword once again, "Then **

**I suppose we'll have to settle this your way, man-to-man."**

**"You're expecting a fair fight...after the crap you just pulled?" I respond **

**coldly, and then I warp the shadows all around us and make my move, disarming **

**the guy before he can even sense my movement.**

**"W-Whaat...?" Celestine moves away, nursing his own hand, which I just skewered.**

**"Thought the same trick would work twice with me?" I reply as I aim my saber for **

**his shadow, looking for the opening I need to separate the kid from the locket, **

**"You forgot, you don't have the advantage here anymore. There's too much **

**interference for you to sense my moves, and the probability lines are all messed **

**up, which means I can fold shadow all I want while you've expended too much **

**energy keeping the kids under your control. That means this fight is practically over..."**

**"Not yet!" Celestine darts back and says, "I still have one more ace to **

**play...Gaius Saotome!"**

**"Huh?" I pause, wondering what the heck he's up to this time.**

**"Gaius Saotome!" Celestine calls out once again, "Hear my words! Gone, gone the **

**form of Agon, Rise here now the Chthonic Dragon!"**

**I blink my eyes at this and say, "You've gotta be kidding."**

**But he's not, and I can feel it too since the bedlam all around us may baffle **

**most of my senses, but I can sure as heck tell when something from the Lower **

**Planes of Earth rises up to the fore, like the stirrings of tectonic plates **

**heralding one mother of an Earthquake!**

**And then I spot the form of Saotome who looks like an extra from a Spatacus-type **

**Sword and Sandal movie, and I see the purple haired girl fighting beside him **

**call out, "Beloved? What is wrong?"**

**"Arrrgggh!" the guy doubles over like he's in real agony, "The dragon...I can **

**feel it...rising up in me...get back, Wife! It's coming...!"**

**The guy he'd been fighting just now, the one who looks like an Arnold reject, **

**pauses and looks down at his nominal father, who's definitely in no condition to **

**continue their sword brawl, looking ready to vomit up green pea soup in another **

**minute...only that's not what comes out of him...and then I know...we are in **

**definite trouble!**

**The shadow of the dragon rises up out of the guy, spreading its wings and **

**towering over everyone and everything, even the glowing Goddess high above. It **

**looks meaner than Godzilla (and could probably take him in a dark alley), and **

**when it roars everybody stops immediately with what they are doing and looks up **

**at the thing with understandable dismay and confusion.**

**And, like any good refugee from a rubber monster movie, it roars out at us the **

**usual cry of, "FREE-I AM FREE AT LAST! FREE OF THAT PITIABLE WORM IN WHOM I HAVE BEEN FORCED TO DWELL FOR FAR TOO MANY SEASONS! FREE TO SMITE THE HUMAN RACE THAT I DESPISE, FREE TO RID THIS WORLD OF THEIR INFECTION...!"**

**Yeah, in other words it's going to be one of those days. I just sigh to myself **

**and say, "All right, that could be a problem..."**

**JUST PRIOR TO THE APPEARANCE OF THE DRAGON:**

**Ranma knew that he was seriously outmatched from the moment he crossed arms with **

**the youth who called himself Li Kung Saotome and claimed to be his son from the **

**distant future. It was not that the resemblance between himself and the **

**pigtailed boy was all that substantial, it was the thought that he was allegedly **

**going to be a father, which meant that he was fated to have a relationship with **

**this girl he just met, which meant that they were meant to have a life together, **

**and he still barely knew anything about her except that some people seemed to **

**think she was a money-grubbing mercenary who used people like they were there **

**for the exploitation.**

**In truth he did not know what to make of the girl, who was simultaneously very **

**pretty and very difficult to figure out. She was obviously quite intelligent, **

**but had a way of holding people off at arms-length that was more than a little **

**unsettling, and girls like that had always intimidated him back in his old class **

**at Crossroads Juuban Middle School. He could barely initiate a decent **

**conversation with a girl, let alone get one to notice him, and yet now he was **

**supposed to believe that this materialistic looker was going to take him **

**seriously as a boyfriend and potential husband? That was more than enough to **

**throw anyone off their game, even when confronted with the stark evidence of his **

**parentage in the form of this incredibly limber kid whom he was fighting, who **

**struck like a demon and had fists and feet that hit like literal sledgehammers.**

**Ranma had always considered himself to be in pretty good shape, but he had no **

**illusions about being the best there was at martial arts. Ryoga, his closest **

**friend and longtime sparring partner, was considerably better and a lot stronger **

**than Ranma on his best days, and while they did work out together in practice it **

**was never all-out like this, otherwise Ryoga would have easily turned him into a **

**human-sized pretzel. Ryoga lived the martial arts while Ranma merely dabbled in **

**his spare time as something to do when not studying for his high school entry exams.**

**And this kid would have taken Ryoga flat out in under nine whole seconds! He **

**was that good, that fast, that strong and that controlled in the use of his **

**power. He was amazingly quick and agile, and as best Ranma could do to keep out **

**of his reach the kid still managed to land blow after blow on him that made **

**Ranma feel like a kid's punching bag and left him feeling bruised and bloodied **

**within the first minute that they went at it together.**

**But Ranma still had a reason to press on, to ignore the pain and to keep on **

**fighting and dodging. As hopeless as his chances were against the kid, he knew **

**that he'd last a long longer than Nabiki if the kid were to turn his wrath upon **

**the girl. Ranma had only to glance off to the side where she was watching with **

**concern in her expression and he knew he couldn't give up without at least **

**trying to hold Li Kung off a little longer. Maybe if he tired the kid out it **

**would give Nabiki a chance to run away. It was the least that he could do, **

**after all, to uphold the code of Budo, which his mother might even refer to as **

**"behaving manly..."**

**Nabiki for her part was standing like a deer caught in the headlights, watching **

**the pigtailed youth bash around his alleged father and reveal how hopelessly **

**outmatched Ranma was. She wanted to call out for him to run, to get out of **

**there, to stop trying to get a good hit in and face the fact that he was getting **

**seriously clobbered.**

**But then she saw the look Ranma gave her as he glanced off to the side, and she **

**saw him mouth the word "Run!" right before Li Kung caught him with a roundhouse **

**kick that knocked the boy ass over teakettle. It belatedly occurred to Nabiki **

**that this fight was over her, and that firmed her resolve and made her decide to **

**take action.**

**She was not a martial artist like Akane, who was too busy with her own problems **

**fending off that Mithril girl, who seemed stronger than even her size would **

**imply as she was taking on five of their group without serious difficulty. **

**Nabiki knew that in a straight fight she would have no chance against this boy, **

**but she did have one advantage over the other martial artists in their group. **

**She was one heck of a good observer, and she played a hunch right then and there **

**that seemed her best bet for resolving this matter.**

**Ranma was out on his back and knew that he lacked the strength to get up. It **

**would be all over in another few seconds, but as he peered through half-shut **

**eyelids he suddenly saw Nabiki thrust herself into the path between himself and **

**Li Kung, and with the realization of her peril he tried to rally and say, "G-Get **

**away..." but only managed to croak out the words in an incoherent rumble.**

**But Nabiki did not step away as Li Kung advanced upon her, instead she held her **

**ground and waited until the last second, then stepped into the boy's guard and **

**brought her hand forward and...slapped him! She slapped him as hard as she **

**could, which-admittedly-was far less than any blow that Ranma might have **

**scored against the kid...and yet somehow that slap caused the pigtailed boy's **

**head to snap back as though in shock and confusion.**

**"Shame on you!" Nabiki spat, "Have you no more respect for your parents than that?"**

**The boy staggered for a moment, blinked his eyes, then said, "B-B-But Mom...!"**

**"Don't 'mother' me, young man," Nabiki said coldly, "Is this how I raised you? **

**To act like some mindless thug who beats on his own father?"**

**Li Kung turned to focus on the girl, and then he winced as he saw the look in **

**her eyes as she turned THE GLARE on him, a glare that only a mother could use **

**upon a child who had displeased her. The boy cringed and hunched his shoulders **

**and looked ready to crawl away somewhere, but he did not dare to move as his **

**mother continued to look upon him so coldly.**

**Ranma managed to pry himself up into a sitting position, still feeling rather **

**much like a pile of hamburger rather than a human being, "W-What did you do...?"**

**Li Kung blinked then said, "Pop? What happened to you?"**

**Nabiki turned and glanced over her shoulder at Ranma then allowed her mouth to **

**quirk up at one corner, "I played a hunch, and it looks like I was right. **

**Sometimes it pays to gamble when you know that the hand is loaded in your **

**father, Ranma-kun."**

**"Ah...I don't get it," Ranma said in growing confusion.**

**"Never mind," she said, turning back to Li Kung, "Help your father to stand up. **

**We have a problem to cope with here, Son, and standing around like a whipped **

**puppy is costing us both time and money."**

**The pigtailed boy squared his shoulders, firmed his lips and said, "Right, got **

**it, Mom. Um...sorry about this, but...what was I doing just now? I got this **

**weird dream I was fighting some CGI monster from one of my movies..."**

**"Oh, it was very real, Son," Nabiki replied as she, too, bent down and tended to **

**Ranma, "But I think you chased it off for now. Now...just look at you, Saotome. **

**You're a mess. Too bad Doctor Tofu isn't here to fix you up..."**

**"Ow!" Ranma winced as she touched his face.**

**"Gosh, I can't believe anybody did this to Pop," Li Kung marveled as he slung **

**Ranma's arm across his shoulders, "Must've been one hell of a monster..."**

**Ranma's reply was not printable.**

**The sound of a dragon's roar put an effective end to further conversation...**

**Meanwhile, Superan was having his own troubles dealing with the likes of Kiiro **

**Hibiki since the Oni girl was almost as strong as him and had the training of a **

**martial artist to back her up. He had only just managed to wrestle the girl to **

**a near-standstill when she suddenly got the upper hand on him and threw him down **

**for a pin, employing leverage to force him down into the very marble stones that **

**they shattered with their bodies, getting a hand around his throat and choking **

**him as Superan fought back and tried to get air back into his lungs.**

**All at once something hit Kiiro from behind and the yellow-skinned girl toppled **

**over, surprising Superan, who managed to gulp down air before seeing Akane **

**smiling at him and holding up one of her energy hammers.**

**"Are you all right, Ranma-kun?" she asked brightly.**

**"Fine," he said as he sat up and glanced around, "Is that all of the fighting?"**

**"Not quite," said one of the versions of Nabiki as she pointed at the groups who **

**were still engaged in some furious combat, "Velvet Pussy and her Valkyrie **

**counterpart seem to be holding the cat-girl from the future at bay, but Iron **

**Chef and that boy, Tetsu, seem to be exchanging hardware and cooking tips as **

**fast as they can dish them out. Some of our allies are down and out of the **

**fight, but that Gaius guy seems to be holding his own against Doc Conan...ooops! **

**Spoke too soon! Man...is that ever gonna hurt in the morning..."**

**"Huh?" Superan and Akane asked together, only to see the shadow rising out of **

**the body of the hunched over Gaius...**

**Wizard Ranma was casting spells as fast as he could imagine them while **

**confronting the boy named Ambrosias and his brand of wild Amazon-derived magic. **

**Despite being older and somewhat more experienced than the other young man, **

**Ranma found himself grudgingly respecting his alleged "son" as both a fighter **

**and a mage worthy of the Anything Goes title. He was just about to up the ante **

**and try calling upon a new array of spells when he felt the rise of power all **

**around him, causing him to desist in his attack in order to turn his focus to **

**the new threat, which was even then arising from the body of Gaius.**

**"Hoy," the Hobbit Ranma said as he glanced up into the sky at the peculiar **

**darkness hovering over them, "That's one big Wyrm you got there, Bucko."**

**"Eh?" the giantess Mithril asked, then blinked her eyes as they started to **

**regain their previous focus, "A dragon? But...how...?"**

**"Who cares?" the dwarven Akane snapped, leveling her war-hammer as though it **

**were a holy item, "It's there, right?"**

**"Unless someone's causing an awfully convincing illusion spell," the Goblin **

**Nabiki replied in her usual clipped, economical manner of speech, "I think we **

**all have problems."**

**"Um...anybody got any suggestions on how to fight that thing?" Iron Chef Ukyo **

**asked with a hint of nervousness in her voice.**

**"Afraid I'm all tapped out on ideas myself," the Nabiki beside her replied, "But **

**just the same, it was nice knowing you guys..."**

**"AT LAST, AFTER COUNTLESS MILLENNIA OF CAPTIVITY, FIRST AT JUSENKYO AND LATER ON IN THE BODY OF THAT MORTAL, I AM FREE TO WREAK MY VENGEANCE UPON THE HUMAN RACE...!"**

**"Okay," Superan remarked, "This definite does look like a problem..."**

**"Hey, what's that?" the Ukyo in coveralls turned and pointed back over her shoulder.**

**"What do you-oh my stars..." murmured the Nabiki at her side.**

**"Huh?" Akane turned around and blanched, "You've gotta be kidding...!"**

**"Aiyaa," the furry Shampoo exclaimed with a twitching of ears, whiskers and tail.**

**"Okay," said Doc Saotome, "Now that's something new..."**

**Twin towers were suddenly flanking the dragon, who just then noticed the new **

**arrivals and growled in its unearthly, thundering voice, "WHAT-WHAT MANNER OF **

**MADNESS IS THIS...?"**

**"SURPRISE!" called a feminine voice from one of the two giant Mecha, "DON'T **

**MOVE, SUCKER, OR WE'LL ROAST YOUR HIDE LIKE A GOJIRO-SIZED IGUANA!"**

**"What?" Celestine evidenced genuine alarm and surprise as he saw new faces **

**manifest in the arena of the battle, "This cannot be! I did not summon any of **

**you to..."**

**There was a very loud noise, much like a giant gun being cocked, and then the **

**mad god turned around to find himself staring down the rifled muzzle of a Royal **

**Ordinance 105mm L7 main gun attached to a rather large tank of late 20th century **

**Japanese manufacture.**

**"Surprise yourself, Sucker," Leona grinned from where she sat in the command **

**chair, "Don't move a muscle. I think I've got you covered."**

**"Dad?" a leather-clad girl with long dark-brown hair riding a motorcycle asked **

**as she pulled up alongside the Time Cop Ranma, "Is everything okay here? Me and **

**my friends got here as soon as we could..."**

**"Huh?" Ranma looked at the strange girl, then turned and saw the more familiar **

**face of Ranko standing close beside him.**

**"What's the matter, Pop?" she asked with a lopsided grin, "Aincha never seen the **

**cavalry arrive in the nick of time before?"**

**Her father just raised an eyebrow and looked around, even as the caped swordsman **

**beside him remarked, "Looks like your kid's been busy gathering up a posse. **

**Take it these are all friends of yours?"**

**"Uh...yeah," Ranko said as she glanced curiously at the strange gaijin wearing **

**the cape, but a moment later a second girl wearing Viking armor stepped forward **

**and said, "There's no time for this, Dad. I'm still stuck inside that Celestine **

**creep, and unless we get the Imperium Crystal off me I won't have a future in **

**which to continue existing."**

**"Huh?" Ranma and Shadowmane said together in equal and quite understandable **

**confusion.**

**"Master," said a furry, striped Cat-girl whose sudden appearance at Ranko's side **

**alarmed Ranma for more than the usual cat-associated reasons, "What are we to **

**do? Do you want us to take care of that monster?"**

**"Master?" Ranma cocked an eyebrow and looked at Ranko again, seeing the guilty **

**wince his daughter offered in reply.**

**"You have been busy," Shadowmane remarked rather dryly.**

**"More than you know," said a sly-looking girl whose hair was streaked with black **

**and silver stripes, adding to the feral impression created by her appearance.**

**"I don't understand," Celestine frowned, "Where did you all come from...and who **

**are these...children you've brought with you? More spawn of your get, Saotome?"**

**"Um...I guess," Ranma scratched behind one ear, looking mildly bewildered as he **

**tried to sort out the nature of this particular rescue...**

**ROLL CALL:**

**Ranko Saotome-Daughter of Ranma and Akane from Continuum #29715382**

**(Time Patrol Cadet, heir to the Anything Goes Ryu)***

**Meiko Saotome-Daughter of Ranma and Akane from Continuum #29715382**

**(Time Patrol Cadet, Apprenticed Valkyrie)**

**Honeysuckle Saotome-Daughter of Ranma and Shampoo from Continuum #3742196**

**(Apprenticed Mage/Martial Artist)**

**Leona Tsu-Daughter of Mousse and Anapuma from Continuum #3742196**

**(Half-Bioroid Cat-girl, Paramilitary fanatic)**

**Maya-Fusion Daughter of Urd and Mraller from Continuum #3742196**

**(Demon-Goddess, First Class, Unlimited Potential)**

**Reiko Hibiki-Daughter of Ryoga and Rei from Continuum #52211475**

**(Half Oni-Angel hybrid, Mecha Pilot)**

**Yui Hibiki-Daughter of Ryoga and Rei from Continuum #52211475**

**(Half Oni-Angel hybrid, Mecha Pilot)**

**Cheshire Saotome-Daughter of Ranma and Nabiki from Continuum #76157982**

**(Pokegirl, Cat-Woman/Cheshire)**

**Colt Tendo-Daughter of Ranma and Kasumi from Continuum #76157982**

**(Pokegirl, Centauress)**

**Tsuyoma Saotome-Son of Ranma and Nabiki from Continuum #71180134**

**(Scientist-Explorer)**

**Salon Saotome-Daughter of Ranma and Shampoo from Continuum #71180134**

**(Scientist-Explorer, Arena Fighter)**

**Sometra Saotome-Daughter of Ranma and Kodachi from Continuum #71180134**

**(Scientist-Scholar, Aristocrat)**

**Valda Saotome-Daughter of Ranma and Belldandy from Continuum #535854018**

**(Demi-Goddess, Second Class, Limited Rating)**

**Amber Saotome-Daughter of Ranma and Lao from Continuum #31413215**

**(Pirate-Slaver, Mistress of Storm Style Martial Arts)**

**Tyger Tiger-Daughter of Nabiki and Lao from Continuum #31413215**

**(Pirate-Slaver, Mistress of Shibari)**

**Okay, even I'll admit at this point that I need a scorecard to keep track of the **

**new faces. With the number of Saotome kids you run into on this many parallel **

**worlds it's not too surprising to notice the wide diversity of genetic drift **

**reflected in their features, but some of these kids are raising my eyebrows to **

**my hairline, and I'm not that easily impressed by a little thing like cross-**

**paratime diversity, where bitter enemies in one universe are the most loving of **

**friends in the next one five quantum leaps over. Considering the effect Saotome **

**has on most of the women in his life, I'm only surprised that the field isn't **

**substantially...larger.**

**And speaking of large, I can't help but notice how the big levitating Wyrm **

**overhead is dominating a good portion of the skyline, hovering above us rather **

**like the Bad Will Blimp, only much more streamlined, about three hundred meters **

**in length from nose to tail (Actually, I've known timelines where this clown was **

**as big as two miles in length, which is patently ridiculous) and as flexible as **

**a snake with wings, only more menacing with the claws and teeth added for **

**additional effect.**

**Contrast this thousand-foot length against the mere seventy-or-so foot tall **

**Mecha flanking him and it doesn't seem like much of a challenge, right? Only **

**that's where you'd be wrong since size most definitely isn't everything, **

**especially when you operate in these kinds of circles...**

**"FOOLS!" I hear the dragon roar from high up above our heads, "YOU THINK TO **

**THREATEN ME WITH YOUR TOYS? I WILL DESTROY YOU ALL FOR THIS INSOLENCE...!"**

**"WRONG!" replies one of the two huge mecha, and all at once they both open fire, **

**bathing the dragon with energy cannons and gattling-gun fire that pummels the **

**scaly sucker with a lethal barrage that causes it to recoil in stunned amazement.**

**"WHAT-MADNESS?" we hear the creature sputter in disbelief as it writhes **

**within the crossfire, "NO HUMAN CREATED MACHINES CAN DO THIS TO ME! YOU WILL SUFFER MOST GRIEVOUS-!"**

**"YEAH, YEAH, YEAH," one of the Mecha snorts back, "LET'S SEE WHAT THESE MECHS CAN REALLY DO, SIS! OPEN UP ON HIM WITH BOTH BARRELS!"**

**"YES, OF COURSE SISTER," the pilot of the other Mecha says calmly, like this is **

**a walk on the beach for both of them, and like that they start to glow as though **

**emitting twin battle auras, and all at once each fires off a wave of searing **

**heat that caused the dragon to curl in on itself and scurry away as though **

**intensely pained by the unbelievable force of these twin attacks.**

**"Whoah," I hear Saotome say, sentiments I share as even I'm finding those Mecha **

**to be awfully impressive at the ground-floor angle that I'm viewing this show from.**

**"Aw, why are they having all the fun?" I hear whoever's in the tank call out, "I **

**can't elevate the tank barrel high enough to get a decent shot at that bugger, **

**and such a juicy target too!"**

**"Um," I say just then as I feel a prickling along my skin, "Don't look now, but **

**you're about to have all the targets you could ask for showing up in another few seconds."**

**"You mean...those Things are coming through?" I hear Saotome ask, catching on as **

**he probably feels them in his bones, those crawling nightmares from the outer dark.**

**"Things?" the redhead who looks like a Saotome cocks and eyebrow and looks **

**questioningly at the older Time Cop.**

**"Beings who defy rational description, Oneechan," I hear the dark haired girl in **

**the Valkyrie get up explain, "They dwell beyond the worlds of light, creatures **

**of absolute anarchy who serve the Old Ones and are totally viscous and evil. **

**They make those Tentacle-rape Urotsukodoji guys look like plaster saints, and I **

**definitely do not recommend letting them get their claws into your pants..."**

**"In other words no fun Taming them, huh?" the tiger-striped Cheshire-cat-girl **

**remarks with a swish of her tail, "That's just terrific..."**

**I see the female Centaur standing just behind the cat-girl whip out a pair of **

**oversized handguns as she says, "If they try to come near us I'll give it to 'em **

**good, Master."**

**"By the pricking of my thumbs..." begins a rather stunning looking blonde who is **

**staring in the same direction that I am, and then the leather clad brunette **

**takes up the hint and adds, "...Something wicked this way comes..."**

**The redhead, on the other hand, turns a glance towards her Valkyrie sister and **

**asks, "Just how do you know so much about Tentacle-rape demons?"**

**"Ah...well..." the dark hair girl gives a nervous chuckle to that.**

**That's when the Cherry-haired girl next to them says, "There is no time for **

**this, they are here."**

**And then I feel the wave of cold sweep over everything, and the Things are here, **

**sweeping in through the ruined gates of Ashkelon like a dark tide of doom that **

**threatens to overwhelm us. I hear kids screaming and ducking for cover, but **

**it's too late to escape this tide, and I know within seconds we're gonna lose **

**allies to the impending slaughter.**

**Only that's when the Mecha pilots turn their guns away from the big black dragon **

**to unload a salvo on the Things that head the first wave out from the gates, and **

**damn if they're aren't impressive the way they catch bat-winged nightmares in **

**their crossfire, dropping the initial attack and reducing them into blackened **

**chunks of smoldering cinders.**

**Unfortunately, though, these guys don't know fear or pain like most living **

**creatures do, and they're drawn to our world by the light that they want to **

**absorb and consume, and behind them are the larger beings whose foul nature **

**makes the worst of Gods and Demons seem like old ladies at a social club. Kill **

**as many of them as you like and there will always be more to take their place as **

**the second wave of the horde presses onward without any military organization to **

**speak of.**

**But that's when I get my next big surprise of the day, for the kids-both old **

**and young-have taken the moment to shrug off their daze and confusion, and **

**when they wake up to the fact that they are under assault they rally together **

**with surprising organization to repel this attack, given adequate warning by the **

**fate of the first wave that these monstrosities are not to be messed with lightly.**

**To my surprise some of the kids produce weapons from various points of **

**concealment, handguns and martial arts weaponry for the most part, though the **

**redhead surprises me by whipping out a whopping big sledgehammer from seeming no **

**where. As she draws it, however, her clothing shifts and alters to become a **

**fancier version of the Valkyrie armor that's currently worn by her sister, a **

**change that seems to surprise her no less than anyone else because she wastes a **

**moment to look down at herself and say, "What the...this never happened before...!"**

**"Later, Sis!" the other Valkyrie-clad girl insists, "You've got to hit them hard **

**before they start killing our siblings!"**

**"Right," the redhead declares, and at once chucks her hammer like she was **

**throwing a guided missile.**

**And damn if the thing doesn't make an awfully big impression when it hits **

**something! It catches the charging wall of ground-based Things and scatters **

**them like grapeshot. That's when the lady in the tank unloads with a very loud **

**BOOM that causes even me to wince a bit, and more Things get blown away by a **

**Beehive Round that does considerable damage.**

**But like I said before, kill a hundred or a thousand of these critters and the **

**rest will just press on as though nothing happened. These Tommy-knockers don't **

**know when to quit, and as long as the open gate attracts them they're just going **

**to keep on pouring into our world until they literally exhaust and overwhelm **

**these defenders.**

**That's when I hear a cry of, "FOR THE SHIRE!" and the battle lines are drawn but **

**good. I decide now isn't the time to play observer from the sideline as the **

**normal rules of engagement go out the window, so I say to Celestine, "You made **

**this happen, Bozo. You gonna just sit there and watch another universe get **

**overrun by those monsters?"**

**"I...I never meant..." Celestine clearly has the look in his eyes of a lost soul **

**revisiting a nightmare, but Saotome's made of firmer stuff and growls in disgust **

**at the clearly uneven situation.**

**"To hell with this!" he snarls and surges forward, even as the redhead stretches **

**out a hand and receives the hammer that's flying back her way like a long-lost puppy.**

**He doesn't have far to go before he meets the first of the demons who are trying **

**to overwhelm us. He plows into them with his usual hell-bent wrath and sends **

**scores of them flying with each pounding of a fist, but the others ignore him **

**and surge towards us, prompting me and my makeshift allies to go to work to **

**defend ourselves...or, in my case, the unconscious Belldandy who still lies **

**helplessly near to where I'm standing.**

**My sword is at work before I'd even have time to describe it, slicing through **

**the ranks of these monsters like a silver bolt of lightning even as I stare into **

**the howling, gibbering faces of horrors that would give most nightmares a **

**fright. It's not exactly the first time I've done battle with the Outer Dark, **

**you know, but you can never completely get over it, the memory lingers with you **

**like a bad smell that you just can't get rid of, or like some elevator music I **

**could mention.**

**To give them credit, the kids next to me are giving hell to the opposition. The **

**Centaur fires pellets that explode into nets, which tumble several of the demons **

**and check the rush of those behind them, but as non-lethal fire clearly won't do **

**much here she thumbs the safeties on her guns and stars discharging plasma **

**bolts, which reap pretty damned effective results at close-quarters like this. **

**The Cat-girl fights beside her, lashing out with a pair of Sai-swords that she's **

**pulled form concealment (and don't ask me what concealment, please!) and keeping **

**the buggers from swarming all over her four-legged companion. The brown haired **

**girl with the facial markings of a Goddess has done something with her **

**motorcycle that causes it to wrap around her body into an instant suit of Exo-**

**armor, and she's laying waste to any demon who gets too close to her position. **

**The blonde is weaving spells and blasting away with her own latent power bolts **

**to thin down the ranks of those who are missed by the others, and between them **

**they manage to hold off an entire arm of the demon assault. **

**The cherry-haired girl is also proving to be a pretty resilient target, and in **

**one hand she wields a cutlass like she means serious business, while she also **

**appears to be able to tap into the rich levels of Chi in the air all around us, **

**and she shapes it to her will like a pro, forming up a wave of curling pink **

**flames that she unleashes with a wave of one hand, smashing through a formation **

**of nasties who had been pressing hard against her a minute before this. **

**Likewise the stripe-haired girl dressed up like a pirate is weaving ropes to **

**create a web-like obstacle course that slows the next wave of attackers down, **

**and many of them looked as tangled up as though they were enmeshed in a spider's **

**web. Whoever she is, she's as deadly as a Widow and has the venom of a wicked **

**looking saber to back her play.**

**Unfortunately the girl in the tank can't do much more from her position since **

**she's effectively locked herself into her vehicle, and those things are swarming **

**all over her armor.**

**"Get them off me!" she cries, "Get them offa me NOW!"**

**I can see that she's in serious trouble, so I spare a moment from what I'm doing **

**to cast a hasty spell, using the Greystar to shift Probability lines and alter **

**the basic structure of the Tank, weaving it around the girl so that she remains **

**untouched while it shifts and reforms into an entirely different configuration.**

**I can all but feel her amazement as she starts to say, "What the..." and then **

**she makes a slight movement with her body and finds that her tank responds to **

**this by moving similarly, only it's not a conventional tank anymore, it's a **

**full-sized suit of Gundanium armor! Doesn't take her too long to figure out the **

**rest of what it can do, and then those demons get the shock of their unlife as **

**she shakes them off like fleas and goes to work wrecking some genuine havoc.**

**I let her play rough with the bad guys while taking a moment to notice how the **

**dragon is faring. Not too surprising I see it hovering above our heads with **

**what I take to be a classic case of indecision. On the one hand the two Mecha **

**who had been pounding on it are now distracted (read vulnerable) to a counter **

**attack, but on the other hand...it doesn't like these Things a heck of a lot **

**better than we do!**

**I wince when I think about Diervak Manhanon, so-called Lord of the Black Dragon, **

**wondering what he'd make of his own totem hanging around like a stage-hand **

**waiting for a cue while the rest of us are mixing it up, but I don't have any **

**time to waste on ironies, so I use the Greystar to amplify my thoughts and **

**project upward, **HEY, YOU UP THERE! YOU JUST GOING TO WAIT AROUND LOOKING FOR A PARADE SO YOU CAN PASS YOURSELF OFF AS A FLOAT OR ARE YOU GOING TO DO SOMETHING TO HELP OUT?****

**I hear...no, make that, I FEEL the Dragon's wrath stirring as he projects back **

**down at me, **WHAT INSOLENCE IS THIS? WHO DARES TO ADDRESS ME IN SUCH AN INSULTING MANNER?****

****Never mind the intros!** I shoot back, **You know what these things are, you **

**know what they can do, and you know what will happen to you if you don't get off **

**your butt and start acting like it means something!****

****YOU EXPECT ME TO ALLY MYSELF...WITH YOU PITIABLE MORTALS?****

****No, but I expect you to want to live, and if these creeps prevail then even **

**you, Great Doomfare, will not survive to see another sunrise.****

**I sense the slight pause before the dragon speaks again, **You know my name, **

**Mortal?****

****I'm a Starlord,** I reply, **You'd be amazed with all I know about you and **

**your counterparts from a hundred thousand different realities, Nergra'al.****

**Another hesitation, then the dragon responds, **A STARLORD...MUCH BECOMES PLAIN THAT WAS UNKNOWN TO ME UNTIL NOW. VERY WELL...YOU AND I WILL SPEAK AGAIN WHEN THIS IS OVER, BUT FOR NOW YOU MAKE TOO MUCH SENSE FOR ME TO CRUSH YOU FOR YOUR HUBRIS.****

**And that's when I sense the blast that is about to rain down on us and call out **

**hastily, "INCOMING!"**

**I also do what I can to erect a psychic shield to protect as many of the kids as **

**I can cover, and then the skies literally rain down with a wave of black hate **

**and venom, and creatures caught out in the open fall down and are consumed by **

**the blast of cold Dragon's breath that sweeps around us and out into the ranks **

**of the creatures.**

**"HOLY-what the Frak was that?" the kid in the Exo-suit calls out as she and **

**the others stare at the dissolving pools of acid rain and the blackened bodies **

**trapped within these lethal puddles.**

**"Everyone all right?" the redhead calls out, "Nobody get caught by all that?"**

**"Fortunately we seem to have suffered no casualties on our end," the stripe-**

**haired pirate lady replies, "But not so our playmates, who appear to have gotten **

**far worse for their measure."**

**Indeed, the Dragon had barely paused to catch a breath before it exhaled another **

**cloud-like wave of death into the ranks of the onrushing horde, dissolving those **

**monstrosities in a hideous display of awful power. The creatures die in a **

**spectacularly horrifying manner, and I know I'm not the only one to wince as we **

**see bone and organs spill out and hiss away into their constituent chemical **

**soup, barely even recognizable as once-living tissues, so terrifying is the **

**result of the dragon's breath as it creates a moat of death all around us.**

**I see Saotome limping back and out of the way of this horror, having sense **

**enough not to stand out exposed where his already tattered leather jacket can **

**get further ruined. He's holding a hand over his mouth and trying not to **

**breathe the stuff in, knowing full well what happened to a guy named Thor who **

**was a bit slow to copy suit during one of his major battles.**

**"How awful..." I hear somebody murmur from beside me.**

**"The way they died...unspeakable..." another voice murmurs in disquiet as we **

**enjoy a few moments of respite from the creatures.**

**"Yeah," I hear the dark haired Valkyrie girl replied, "But at best this will **

**only buy us a few minutes. And what happens when one of the big guys shows his **

**ugly face? Even the dragon can't stand up to an Old One."**

**I wince a bit and say, "Kid, I wish you hadn't said that."**

**"Huh?" the redhead looks at me funny, and so does her father, Saotome.**

**"What now?" the big guy asks.**

**I don't answer right away because several different sensations are impinging on **

**my consciousness at the selfsame instant. On the one hand, where the fighting **

**is still pretty intense, I can feel a new element wading into the battle, and it **

**has a familiar signature to it...a Starlord's signature at that, a Starstone **

**actively at play beside myself as someone is wading through the ranks of the **

**creatures laying waste to them with great efficiency and disdain...a certain **

**someone whose presence I know all too well and have dreaded feeling.**

**At the same time I'm paying close attention to a pair of eyes that are gazing **

**down at us from the darkened space where the Gate of Aschkelon had been **

**standing. Correction, make that several sets of eyes, maybe as many as a **

**hundred of them, but all a part of the same awful presence that's intruding its **

**way through the gap between worlds, a Thing beyond any Thing that we've just cut **

**down, and looking terrible enough that even the dragon feels intimidated.**

****STARLORD...** I hear Negra'al call down in uneasy foreboding.**

**"Yeah, I know," I say aloud, "Looks like the preliminaries are over...now here **

**comes the real deal, and frankly, I don't think even you can take him."**

**But just then I notice something very odd, one of the purple haired girls is **

**striding forward to the very edge of my psychic shields, just about where the **

**puddle begins that would dissolve her if she set foot in that toxic goop. She **

**pauses there and seems to be facing the looming shadow of The Other, and then I **

**feel her summoning all the Chi in the immediate area as she raises her voice and **

**her hands and begins chanting:**

**"Darkness beyond Twilight, **

**Power beyond the Veil of Time,**

**Crimson blood that flows from**

**The deepest caverns of the Earth,**

**Cast down from the Heavens**

**To find their way into my Unworthy hands..."**

**"What the heck is she doing?" I hear the Centaur ask, even as I feel a chill go **

**down my spine at the words of power and the forces that the purple haired girl **

**is shaping and binding to her will.**

**"That spell..." I hear the golden haired Goddess murmur.**

**"Incredible!" the other goddess in the powered armor exclaims, "I didn't think **

**anyone but my Aunt Urd knew the words to that chant...!"**

**"I pledge myself to conquer**

**All the unworthy foes who stand before me.**

**I summon now the power of ancient might,**

**Power to smite even the Gods from their lofty dwellings,**

**The Power I command and now release-**

**Let those who fear the Light take heed,**

**Spear of Heaven-UNLEASH!"**

**I flinch instinctively away as the blast of pure energy rockets forth to strike **

**the creature that dwells in ultimate darkness, and what happens next is **

**literally beyond my ability to relate since I can only sense the Light of a **

**spear-like energy blast collide with the Anti-Energy that comprises the make-up **

**of the Old One...and then the effect is like a supernova bomb going off on the **

**other side of the portal, the greater amount of which is unleashed on the Old **

**One's side of the fence, but the tiny amount that backwashes into our world is **

**enough to blow us all to Kingdom Come...except that a pair of bodies move to **

**intercept it, and then the force is blunted, sparing us from the worst of the explosion.**

**I risk temporary blindness by opening my eyes and staring back at where the **

**blast happened, only to find the two giant Mecha are blocking the way, and **

**there's no sign of the portal itself since the explosion seems to have collapsed **

**it utterly. The things no longer are surging forward, and I can't feel the Old **

**One's presence anywhere. With some reluctance I conclude that whatever the girl **

**did to the creature, it was pretty damned effective.**

**She turns around and smiles at us after that, and when someone-one of the kids **

**I didn't know by sight-asks what she's just done she merely smiles and says, **

**"Borrowed a page from one of my sisters. She usually tosses around fireball **

**spells and what not, but this is a major-league Necromantic spell, one I kind of **

**improved on for my own uses, and damned if it isn't effective against creatures **

**like that, huh?"**

**Nobody else says anything more for the next several seconds, but whatever might **

**be added becomes academic anyway since the light that's been hovering over our **

**heads the whole time all of a sudden shines down upon us, bathing everyone with **

**soothing rays of healing warmth, and then all at once I can feel new energies in **

**motion, as if a whole new spell is being crafted all around us, and before my **

**very eyes I sense the pyramid reforming itself, only this time drawing in the **

**new kids as well as the old ones to reshape its previous matrix.**

**Can't really say much about the next several minutes since I'm pretty much out **

**of it, along with everybody else who's just been drafted into the new pyramid, **

**but I can say that I'm suffused with a warming glow of peace and unity as I **

**briefly feel the connection between me and the other parties in the matrix flare **

**bright and incandescent. It doesn't last too long, though, and soon we break **

**apart into our constituent selves as the pyramid dissolves at the last, and all **

**I really can say for sure is that we must have done something to fix the **

**problems with reality, because when we collectively open our eyes together the **

**bodies of the Things are gone, and the Gates of Ashkelon are once more standing **

**where they have been for countless centuries. I look around and find that **

**pretty much everyone is accounted for, both the kids and the old-timer pros like **

**me, and there's no sign of the dragon anywhere or even tanks and giant mecha for **

**that matter.**

**What there is, however, is Celestine, and as he blinks his eyes and looks around **

**I can tell that our troubles with the guy are not quite ended. I sense the **

**disappointment in him as he sees the gates that stand for everything he hates **

**about the current system are once again in place, and his lips curl in **

**disappointment as he frames the word, "No..." very softly, as if sensing that **

**all his careful plans and schemes have effectively just been all rendered for nothing.**

**Saotome breaks the silence by saying, "Chakar...what...?"**

**"Don't try and figure it out," I nod to where a figure is descending from above, **

**"Just go see to your lady."**

**He starts at this, then sees the hybrid fusion of Peorth and Nabiki is floating **

**down to where we are standing, even as the goddess Belldandy flutters open her **

**own eyes and looks around in understandable confusion. She turns in time to see **

**Ranma catch his wife before she can settle on the ground, and then Peorth **

**separates from her adopted daughter and staggers a short distance away, which is **

**where Belldandy moves to intercept her.**

**"Peorth-chan...!" the goddess says as she gathers her fellow divine being into **

**her arms to steady her against the exhaustion that clearly has overtaken the **

**rose goddess.**

**"Whoosh...that was quite a rush," I hear Peorth remark, then she glances over **

**her shoulder and asks, "Nabiki?"**

**"I got her," Ranma replies as he eases his near-naked wife down to the floor, **

**cradling her with more gentleness than I'd ever imagined was in him as he checks **

**to see that all parts are in reasonably good working over. I feel a bit **

**uncomfortable about that, forcing myself to look away rather than intrude upon **

**their moment, even knowing how the sight of the woman will affect me since I **

**haven't forgotten her in the past year or so. I steady myself by remembering **

**that I'm a happily married man myself, and while I can be as promiscuous as the **

**next guy, there's no way that Saotome would run in that direction.**

**But that reminds me of something I had so-briefly forgotten, and I look up with **

**alarm as a familiar sensation comes over me, causing me to turn in a particular direction.**

**"And so it's over," Celestine says in finality and resignation, "You win this **

**time...my efforts were for nothing..."**

**"No," Peorth straightens herself up in Belldandy's arms and forces herself to **

**turn towards the man saying, "Not for nothing. You tried to unmake reality, but **

**my daughter and I have managed to put things back together...even better than **

**things were before you meddled..."**

**"Better?" I can hear the bitterness in his voice, "You think that consoles me, **

**Goddess? I am not consoled...in fact, I intend to study what you did and to **

**learn from my mistakes this time around, and then when I next attempt to remake **

**the balance of the powers..."**

**"Next time?" Saotome looks up at that, "Are you completely mental? You saw what **

**happened this time, and you wanna try your luck again?"**

**"I took a gamble," the mad god says, "I thought it would work this time...better **

**than the last one...but if at first you don't succeed, as you mortals say, then **

**I'll try again, only this time I won't allow any outside interference."**

**"You're out of your gourd if you think we're going to let you pull this again!" **

**the redhead snaps, "We could have all been killed thanks to you..."**

**"If you want to leave here, Lord Celestine," her dark haired sister speaks up, **

**"At least let my younger self go. You don't need her as your avatar anymore, **

**and she...I've got my own destiny to live..."**

**"Let her go?" I see Celestine back away, "And trust you to let me leave...just **

**like that? I don't think so. In fact, I'll use her to get away, and you won't **

**dare to try and stop me because you know how fragile she is, and while I don't **

**want anything to happen to her I can't let myself be taken captive again..."**

**"Uh...I wouldn't...!" I start to call out in warning.**

**"You wouldn't, Starlord?" Celestine gives me a bitter laugh at this, "You'd be a **

**fine one to pass judgement on me! None of you can understand what I've been **

**through, the horrors that I've endured, all in the name of the so-called **

**'Justice' of the Heavens..."**

**"Celestine!" Belldandy speaks sharply, "I...I can't let you leave. You've done **

**too much...you have to answer for your crimes. We both do...me for helping you, **

**and you..."**

**"Belldandy," I see the pleading in the mad god's eyes as he turns towards her, **

**"Don't you understand? I did it for you! I did it for us! I did it so we **

**could be together...not just you and Peorth, but us..."**

**"For...us?" Belldandy asks, her voice trembling over the concept.**

**"I really think you should..." I start to advise, but the guy is too far gone to hear me.**

**"And you should stay the hell out of my-urk!" I watch as Celestine staggers, **

**unable to complete his sentence as he's just sprouted a foot or two of ivory **

**sword that's even now protruding from his chest, skewering the pendant that he's **

**wearing right above the setting of the Silver Imperium Crystal, which falls to **

**the floor and remains there like a lump of ice.**

**"Celestine!" Belldandy cries in horror.**

**"NO!" I hear Ranma and the redhead cry out together, even as Celestine glances **

**down in disbelief, then starts to dissolve as the energy construct that gives **

**him the semblance of a body melts away, revealing the young girl who had been **

**hidden within him.**

**That girl begins to sag forward, but like a flash the redhead is there to catch **

**the eleven year old child before she can hit the marble tiles beneath our feet. **

**Nobody else is moving as the one holding the sword blade calmly regards them **

**with a level stare, then looks directly at me with a flinty expression in her **

**eyes that even I find chilling.**

**"Chakar," my wife, Garimel Shalestar, pronounces tonelessly, "I've finally found **

**you...husband."**

**"Husband?" I hear Saotome gasp.**

**"Uh...Gari?" I wince, having known all along that she'd put in an appearance, **

**"What are you doing here?"**

**My platinum-blonde wife takes a slow step forward and I can tell at once that **

**she's in full Geas mode, meaning that I'm not dealing with my normally sweet-**

**tempered lady but the living embodiment of the Shark Spirit that she harbors **

**within her, her warrior mode known only as The Huntress.**

**"Chakar," she says as she takes another slow step forward, "I've been searching **

**for you...it has taken me this long to find you..."**

**"What did you do to my daughter, you...?" Ranma starts to rise to his feet, **

**leaving his own wife where she lays as he balls his fists and looks incredibly angry.**

**"Stay your ground, everybody!" I call out, "Nobody move, nobody make any hasty **

**motions, no one talk until it's over. I mean it! If she thinks you're going to **

**attack...then I may not be able to stop her."**

**"Pop...Meiko-chan's all right," the redhead whispers from where she's still **

**kneeling and cradling the younger girl, "She's breathing normally...and there's **

**not a mark on her..."**

**"Of course she's all right," I say evenly, "Even at her worst Gari wouldn't hurt **

**a child or an innocent, it goes against her very nature."**

**"What's wrong with her then?" Ranma asks, "Why does she look so pissed with you **

**all of a sudden?"**

**"Chakar..." Garimel takes another step forward, still extending that ivory sword **

**that's her oldest family heirloom, the one said to be forged from the tooth of a **

**great monster.**

**"She's in Geas mode," I explain, "It's a condition where she shuts down all **

**other emotions but a purposeful hunger. Normally she only gets like this when **

**she's emotionally upset about something..."**

**"So what did you do to set her off?" Saotome asks, "Forget the day of your **

**anniversary or something?"**

**"Uh..." I pause to think on that a moment, and then I get the nagging sense that **

**I forgot something, and then the Greystar oh-so-helpfully nudges my memory about **

**the date, and I suddenly break out in a cold sweat, far more nervous than when I **

**was facing the Old One.**

**Saotome turns on me the kind of look that only one married man can give towards **

**another and then I hear sympathy in his voice as he says, "You are so dead..."**

**"Ah...Gari?" I wince, "I didn't mean to forget...I just kind of got...busy...you **

**know how it is...?"**

**Another step and she's just two or three paces away from me, and I can see the **

**tip of her sword waver as she no longer has quite as much of the coldness in her **

**stare, and then her sword arm droops altogether and I heard her give a ragged **

**sigh before saying, "I was waiting for you...and you sent me your shadow..."**

**I move in to take her into my embrace, hugging her tightly and letting the **

**shudder through the both of us as the Geas begins wearing off, no longer **

**propelling her onward relentlessly through the parallel dimensions. The **

**Shalestar no longer pulses so intensely and I can feel her breathing and **

**heartbeat begin to return to normal.**

**Still I hold her and sooth her hair and let the demon go that lurks within her **

**breast, and once again I know that I have my wife back, the Garimel I married. **

**I know the other one comes along with the package deal, but this is the lady I **

**have pledged to shield and protect against the monsters that dwell within her **

**breast, the cold-hearted legacy of what she was before I met her.**

**"She gonna be all right?" Ranma asks as he kneels down and once more tends to **

**his own lady.**

**"Oh yeah," I reply, still holding my wife tightly, "Not like this was the first **

**time for her, and I doubt it'll be the last..."**

**Saotome gives me a curious stare and then asks the question I was expecting all **

**along, "What was that with her anyway? Why'd she kill Celestine, and how did **

**she avoid killing my Meiko?"**

**"Oh, the latter part's easy," I say, "Gods are multi-dimensional beings, mortals **

**aren't. Gari just shifted the Shalestar so that her sword phased through the **

**girl and struck the pendant to shatter it exactly at the weak point of the **

**matrix. She struck at the part of the pendant that housed his essence and **

**disrupted his make-up, and that's why he couldn't hold onto the girl any longer. **

**She did it more on instinct than from conscious thought, though...and as for why **

**she did...well, obviously Garimel thought he was a threat to me, of course. **

**She's trained to react like that to perceived threats...with lethal force as **

**only a Starlord can dish it out."**

**"Trained?" I hear the redhead ask, "By who?"**

**I must look pretty grim as I say, "By her mother...Morrigar, the one who wielded **

**the Shalestar before Gari. Morrigar was obsessed with making Garimel the best **

**warrior that she could turn out, and to achieve this she put her own daughter **

**through more hell than you ever had to live through with your old man, Saotome. **

**Hell, compared to what Gari suffered through in her childhood, that Nekoken of **

**yours was a kindergartner's prank."**

**"Oh...lovely," I see Saotome grimace, "And you married her for that?"**

**"She's not like that all the time," I explain, "And it ain't her fault that Gari **

**was raised to be a killing machine who can lay waste to entire armies, with or **

**without her Starstone. I married her because I knew that I could help her keep **

**the White Shark at bay most days...and besides...it seemed to make a lot of **

**sense at the time."**

**"Except if you do something to piss her off you mean?" Peorth asked.**

**"Yup," I nod, running my fingers through Garimel's hair before adding, "Makes it **

**real hell on the neighbors if they don't call in ahead of time and schedule a **

**visit. Little surprises can sometimes set her off, and minor irritations that **

**most of us can slough off could be cause for her lethal reflexes to snap back **

**into gear. That's why my staff is under strict instructions to never let her **

**answer the door to our place, especially if it means avoiding having her **

**interact with telemarketers and salesmen."**

**"So the world's deadliest assassin and the world's most dangerous huntress can **

**live happily ever after once again," the dark haired girl in the Viking costume **

**perks up, "But thanks to your wife for saving me. I never quite knew how that **

**part happened, you know...my memories, up to this point, were a little bit hazy."**

**"Uh..." I have to admit that I blinked my eyes on hearing this, "Sure thing, **

**Kid. You can thank Gari in person when she finishes recovering...which reminds **

**me, Saotome...how's your own lady doing?"**

**"Just fine...near as I can tell," Saotome stands up again cradling his Nabiki in **

**his arms, and once more I wince upon seeing how much of her is showing from **

**beneath his tattered leather jacket, which same he's put around her shoulders, **

**"Guess I can sympathize with why you picked the lady you're with. After all, **

**when I was still a punk kid I'd never have believed it either. I mean...of all **

**the girls who used to be after me, who'd have ever thought that I'd wind up with **

**the greediest mercenary in all of Nerima..."**

**A soft murmur from Nabiki makes us aware that she is recovering just nicely, **

**"I...heard that..."**

**"Nabiki?" Saotome looks down as I see his wife open her eyes and smile up at him **

**in a wan but welcome manner.**

**"I'll be all right...Ranchan...just a little tired..." she shifts within his **

**arms as though to make herself more comfortable, "What did I miss?"**

**"Oh, not too much, Mom," the dark haired girl in the Valkyrie armor says, "You **

**just helped us kick butt on the bad guy."**

**"I did?" Nabiki frowns slightly as though attempting to get her brain back on **

**the railroad tracks, "I don't quite...remember..."**

**"Hey, that's okay, 'Biki," Saotome says, "You know you can leave it in my hands, **

**just like always. I'll always be there to look after you, you know that...after **

**all, I'm your protector, right?"**

**"That's sweet of you, Ranma-kun," she smiles back softly, "But I can take care **

**of myself, I don't need a protector...and please don't call me 'Biki."**

**"Whatever you say, 'Biki," Saotome pauses to kiss his lady wife on the forehead.**

**"Well then," Peorth says as she leaves Belldandy's side and reaches down to pick **

**up the Ginzuishou, "I think this has caused more than enough trouble for one **

**day, don't you? Time to put it back and..."**

**All at once the crystal starts to glow, then it rises up out of Peorth's hand **

**before the goddess can prevent it, and as we watch in amazement it starts to **

**spin in the air like a top, becoming brighter and brighter until it vanishes **

**completely, leaving the Rose Goddess looking more than slightly flustered.**

**"Oh my," Belldandy remarks, "I guess the crystal has its own ideas about where **

**it ought to be right now...and since the timeline that it and I hailed from is **

**now closed to us for good..."**

**"Yeah," I hear Saotome say before he voices the next thought that's in my mind **

**as we both turn back to survey the field of teenaged kids staring at us with **

**questioning and expectant expressions, "So what happens next?"**

**"Good question," I respond, knowing that we're going to have to sort things out **

**in another few moments, but content that-for the moment at least-the crisis **

**appears to be ended...**

**Continued.**

**Comments/Criticisms/Cataclysmic Resolutions: shadowmane **

**How does this end in a resolution? Can Chakar and the others sort things out **

**and make right the amount of chaos and disruption brought about by Celestine's **

**rampages? Can Ranko explain what she's been up to with her father, and does **

**Meiko have to make her own set of excuses? Fine out next time in: "Florence of **

**Nerima," or "Bridge over the River Kawaii." Be there!**

**X**

**If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction **

**webpage at: ~ All related chapters **

**of this series can be found there along with my other works.**


	20. Chapter 20

**RanWarp20**

**Realities Warped!**

**By**

**Jim Robert Bader**

**(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi**

**and other artists too numerous to mention.**

**The Characters Chakar Shadowmane and**

**Garimel Shalestar, however, were created by**

**me, while Trella (RA Curtis) provided some**

**of the characters and ideas that appear within this**

**chapter, based on her series "Aiyaa, My Goddess!"**

**and inspired by the fanfics authored by Gregg Sharp,**

**Steve Thesken, Andy Kent and other such creative**

**talents to whom no blame and/or credit can be**

**attributed. The Gods of Law prohibit use by other,**

**parties while Chaos, on the other hand, won't give a hang, **

**though you still might get you flamed by certain of my **

**pre-readers, and that is a fate to be avoided, believe**

**me! You have been duly warned!)**

**Chapter Twenty.**

**Number of the Breast**

**Continuum #52413783**

**Gate of Ashkalon**

**Where to go after Armageddon?**

**Well, let's see. We'd just beaten the bad guy, killed an elder god and saved **

**all of reality as we knew it. Check, just an average day, nothing special to **

**write home about.**

**Of course, we also had about eight distinctive versions of one Saotome Ranma, **

**plus an equal number of Tendo Nabiki, about six versions of her younger sister, **

**Akane, about three of Kuonji Ukyo and Xian Pu of the Joketsuzoku, and two **

**versions of the redheaded Ranko-one older, the other younger-so the field **

**around us was feeling a wee bit crowded, and that's not even counting the kids **

**from the next generation who clustered together slightly off to one side trying **

**to sort everything out from the conflicting timelines they had all respectfully **

**hailed from, not counting the eleven year old girl whom the older Saotome was **

**presently cradling in his arms like a sleeping baby.**

**Then there was Peorth and Belldandy...well, even goddesses can seem a bit lost **

**and confused when having survived the sort of ordeal we'd all just come through **

**together, so I'd be a bit forgiving here if they were as much out of the lurch **

**as the rest of us at the moment.**

**Oh yeah, then there's Garimel, my wife, and me, Chakar Shadowmane. We're **

**Starlords from the Major Houses, two of the Twelve who form the Middle Arcana of **

**the Starlord Dominion. I'm the Lord Greystar of the House of the Wolf, Gari's **

**the Lady Shalestar from the House of the Shark, and the both of us are pretty **

**darn powerful by the standards of most mortals. We're here for the clean-up now **

**that the immediate crisis is resolved, and damned if I know how we're going to **

**sort everybody out. Maybe we ought to issue them nametags or something...**

**Oh, and before I forget to mention it, there's also the two giant mecha and the **

**tank that I rather hastily had altered into yet another type of mecha, but we're **

**not going into that right now, thank you very much. I have my hands full just **

**calming down Gari from her recent Geas mode, and that's not even going into **

**whatever sort of mischief she's been up to in hunting me down on account of my **

**unfortunately forgetting all about the date of our thirtieth anniversary.**

**For most husbands that would be a problem, but with a wife like mine a goof this **

**severe can have quite lethal consequences.**

**But I feel her now returning back to her more natural, far calmer persona, the **

**Garimel I know so well, the one who smiles a lot and adores children. The White **

**Shark has receded back to the darker recesses of her mind, where it will abide **

**until the next little thing brings her rising to the surface. Now the only **

**question is...how much havoc did she do this time around, and can we damage **

**control the mayhem without having to pay out too much compensation to the next **

**of kin and the property owners?**

**Meanwhile I've taken the liberty of providing Saotome's wife with something **

**decent to wear, as much for her dignity as to keep me from having to look at her **

**and feel the strange stirrings I get every time I come near the Lore Master **

**Nabiki. Don't ask me why, but there is something about that Japanese woman that **

**reminds me a lot of Mariko, a girl I knew back in Iga during the 8th century, **

**when I'd spent some time on the home islands getting to know the locals. It was **

**a long time before I met Garimel, and I don't like to think very hard that I may **

**well be looking upon one of my own distant descendants. Of course, with my **

**family's history, a little thing like incest has never been much of an issue, **

**but jokes about cradle robbing aside (heck, she's considered mature by mortal **

**standards) there is definitely no way that I'm going to try anything with her, **

**especially in front of both Garimel and Saotome!**

**I turn instead to the redhead named Ranko, and what a spitfire that kid is, a **

**real chip off the old stone block, to say nothing of being a near carbon-copy of **

**her old man when he was her age. For me it seems like only yesterday that I saw **

**a punk kid with too many fiancées trying to cope with more responsibility than a **

**teenaged boy like him could reasonably manage, and now look at the man he is **

**today, a walking avatar of grief and muscle. Makes me wish I'd done something **

**for him back when it would have made a difference, but...ah well, that's life **

**and all that, and I guess the kid was just destined to become the warrior **

**protector for his own lady. Must be some kind of karmic penalty, though, that **

**his kid is taking after him in such a big way, especially in the romance department.**

**"No fooling?" I hear a pigtailed redhead asking of an older counterpart, "You're **

**name's Ranko too, huh? Only you're Oniichan's daughter, which I guess kind of **

**makes me like your aunt, huh?"**

**"Ah...well..." the older redhead-Ranko, I now get it-hesitantly responds as **

**if searching for the right words to summarize their relationship.**

**"Master?" I hear the tiger-striped girl in the corduroy vest ask with an **

**inquisitive expression as she turns from one Ranko to look at the other.**

**"Cool it for now, guys, please?" Ranko gently pleads before turning to her **

**father and saying, "So, what happens next, Pop? Do we go our separate ways or **

**truck everybody back to their proper timelines like the last three times?"**

**"You're asking me?" Saotome asks, "Ask your mother, she's the one with all the answers."**

**"Unfortunately, I seem to be drawing a blank myself, Ranma-kun," Nabiki-she's **

**the hottie I was mentioning before-shrugs, "Even Lore Masters can be a bit **

**overwhelmed by events such as what we just went through, and considering that I **

**just saved reality as we know it, I'd say I'm doing a bit above par..."**

**"You saved reality?" Peorth gives her adopted daughter a smile, "Getting above **

**ourselves are we? In old days we would have called that hubris."**

**"Still and all," Belldandy smiled, "You both were wonderful together, the way **

**you wove destiny back into place and repaired the damage Celestine inflicted **

**upon Yggdrasil. You both should be very proud of what you have **

**accomplished...unlike me, the way I let myself be used by him to almost destroy **

**our reality, for which I am very sorry."**

**"No harm done, Goddess," I reply, "Just a bit of inconvenience, and you really **

**weren't yourself while you were under his influence."**

**The goddess just shakes her head and looks at me sadly, "No...I cannot escape **

**the blame for what I did. I willingly allowed Celestine to use me the first **

**time when he tried to implement his scheme and wound up creating a whole through **

**which the Old Ones were able to infect our entire dimension. It hardly matters **

**that I came to my senses later...at the time I was guided by my own foolish **

**desires and pride into committing the worst sin that any Goddess could commit, **

**and my beloved Peorth was the one who paid the price for my foolish actions. I **

**killed the one I loved as surely as if I were the one who cast the spell and **

**laid her low, and I can never forgive myself for that sin. I...I deserve **

**whatever punishment that Heaven sees fit to mete out and..."**

**That's when I feel Gari stirring at my side, looking up from me and giving **

**Belldandy a wry look.**

**"If you want to know what it feels like to commit heinous crimes for which there **

**can be no forgiveness," she remarks, "Then you're in very good company I fear. **

**If anything, my crimes are as awful as your own...but still I have managed to **

**live with myself and I've spent the past several years seeking to make restitution."**

**Belldandy looks at Gari and I can tell at once the both of them are gonna hit it **

**off in an instant. I just shrug and let it happen, knowing that-if anyone can **

**get through to the goddess-it would be my wife, who has her own share of **

**skeletons in the attic to speak of, the majority of whom were put there by her mother.**

**Peorth, on the other hand, seems to be warming up herself to this Belldandy, **

**overcoming her own reluctance enough that she can say with a straight face, **

**"Well...actually, I don't think that Heaven will come down on you too hard over **

**this, Bell-chan. You may have let yourself be led into temptation, but you **

**weren't the one who initiated the scheme to reshape reality, and Celestine was **

**using you from the very first day that you both met. We know for a fact that he **

**began working his program into your very being during the time that he was your **

**trainer...and...ah...well...it seems he started to do the same thing to me, only **

**he never got to finish what he started. In fact, my training elsewhere is **

**probably the thing that saved us both in the end, so dry up your tears, please, **

**before you get your dress wet or something. I'll speak to our superiors about **

**you and see if the Almighty can work something out to your advantage."**

**"You're so kind, so much like my Peorth," Belldandy touches the face of her **

**fellow goddess, surprising Peorth, who winds up staring into the blue eyes of **

**her childhood friend, no doubt sensing a lot more there than a wistful **

**nostalgia, "I wish you could be her, but...my Peorth is dead...and I must grieve **

**for her before I can move on. Still...would it be all right with you if **

**I...remain with you for a while? I promise I won't become a burden..."**

**"Um...well..." Peorth hesitates, then reluctantly concedes, "...Ah...I guess **

**there wouldn't be any real harm then..."**

**"Oh, Peorth-chan!" Belldandy cries happily, and then she reached out and draws **

**her fellow goddess into spontaneous kiss that quite takes the other goddess by **

**surprise, even after Belldandy lets her go to cover her own mouth and say, **

**"Oh...I'm so sorry...I didn't mean to do that..."**

**"I...ah...you didn't...wha...?" the Rose Goddess stammers.**

**"Isn't that sweet," I hear Saotome's wife remark in her usual dry, sardonic tone **

**of voice, "I never knew you still had it in you, Momma."**

**"I...um..." Peorth stammers again, this time blushing as rosy as her namesake.**

**"Guess that makes it official," Ranma glances around, careful not to wake the **

**young girl he's holding protectively in his arms, then says, "Now if somebody **

**could please mind explaining to me about what these copies are all about?"**

**I can only sympathize with Saotome's confusion, because the other versions of **

**him do take some getting used to...**

**"Tut now, young lady," the Ranma with the bare-broad-hairy feet remarks to the **

**seven foot tall lady dressed like a refugee from a woodland survivalist range, **

**"If you say it's bound to happen then who am I to say otherwise. Always said **

**there were queer folk around abouts Nerima-shire, and now that pretty much **

**confirms it..."**

**"Oh father," the giantess smiles down at him and replies, "You're always so **

**understanding..."**

**I have to silently agree to that even as I remark, "Ylan would love him..."**

**"He would indeed at that," Garimel murmurs at my side, then moves a bit a way to **

**turn and smile at me in her usual dazzling manner, reassuring me that she's **

**recovered from her Geas, "Hobbits were always his most beloved topic. A pity **

**there are not more of them around, we should have offered them the sanctuary of **

**our house, as we have to so many other unfortunately displaced woodland **

**creatures."**

**"So...uh, everything all right on your end?" I hear Saotome cautiously ask.**

**"Oh yeah, just peachy," I reply, even as I sense that Garimel and Nabiki are **

****noticing** each other, which sets me slightly on edge as I just know I'm going **

**to have to do some fessing up in another few moments.**

**"You're Chakar's wife...Garimel Shalestar...daughter of Morrigar the Destroyer?" **

**Nabiki asks in that hesitant way that tells me she's not quite certain but also **

**is hardly guessing.**

**"Why yes," Gari smiles back, "And you are...Tendo Nabiki, correct?"**

**"Saotome," Nabiki corrects, holding her husband's hand in her own and adding, **

**"And this is my husband, Ranma, the big lug, who also does more than his own **

**share of destruction."**

**"Charmed," Gari smiles, and I can see at once that Saotome is looking back at **

**her with alarm plain in his expression. He's seen that predatory look before in **

**the eyes of other ladies, of course, only he's never quite met a predator as **

**sharp and cunning as my Garimel, who's always been one to follow her own primal **

**instincts.**

**"Ah..." I start to try and think of some means of changing the subject when **

**someone else does it for me, another Nabiki, only this one wearing an odd sort **

**of magic robes and looking no older than about twenty, if that.**

**"Excuse me," she says curtly, "But I'm given to understand that you are with **

**something called the Time Patrol Agency? By that do I take it that you have the **

**means of sending us back to our own world and timeline?"**

**"We do at that," the older Nabiki replies, "Why, are you feeling anxious about **

**sticking around here another few minutes?"**

**"Frankly, yes," the younger Nabiki says, "I may not know as much about **

**Timetravel as you, but I'm a very busy woman and I have business interests that **

**I was attempting to conduct when some...gentleman absconded with me, forcing me **

**to waste my time and talent expending needless energy in an enterprise for which **

**there was neither budgetary logic nor a simple profit motive. I must **

**respectfully demand that I be returned forthwith to my own appropriate era **

**before the capitol investment of my talents is squandered and my allocated **

**timeshare is allowed to accrue an undue burden for my karmic 401-K plan..."**

**"Hah?" I hear Saotome say, which does about summarize my own reactions to **

**hearing this young lady rattle off her rather peculiar complaint.**

**"Don't look at me," a younger Ranma wearing blue robes responds, "I'm not even **

**sure what she's talking about half the time myself, but then again, Nabiki is a **

**Financial Wizard, and they tend to be pretty miserly about their spell casting."**

**"Unlike some spendthrift casters I could name," the robed Nabiki counters, "Who **

**expend their magic freely as though it were gold dust they've alchemically transmuted..."**

**"Interesting," I hear the older Nabiki smile, "You and I need to have a nice **

**long chat sometime, provided you can slip me into your scheduled appointments."**

**"If you can make it worth my time, then it's a date," the younger Nabiki **

**replied, "Now...about our going home..."**

**"Don't sweat it, Kid," I reply in what I hope is my most reassuring tone, "We'll **

**get you back where you belong...just as soon as we sort things out on this end."**

**"Yeah," the blue-robed Ranma says, scowling a bit at his version of Nabiki, "And **

**while we're on the subject of sorting things out...mind explaining to me about **

**that deal you made with the Amazons a while back? The one that was supposed to **

**get both me and Shampoo off the hook, but which has some unforeseen **

**consequences?" he hooks his thumb towards the kid standing beside him, who I **

**think is named Ambrosias, and yet whose parentage is as plainly written on his **

**face as if he'd just had a blood test.**

**Immediately the younger Nabiki clamps up and says tightly, "I'll want to talk **

**with my lawyer..."**

**"Did I hear someone mention the word Lawyer?" a Nabiki wearing coveralls remarks **

**as she comes over to join us, smiling as if she smells the scent of profit in **

**the air, "I have an Attorney's license to practice as a legal consultant. How **

**may I help you?"**

**"Watch it," chuckles a version of Kuonji Ukyo wearing coveralls, "Ham **

**specializes in patent law, but she charges an arm and a leg when it comes to **

**paternity suits and civil cases."**

**"Well," the purple haired boy named Ambrosias remarks, "The long and the short **

**of it is that Dad...well, when he had me he wasn't completely himself at the **

**time, know what I mean? The deal she cooked up with my great-great grandma was **

**to reclaim mom's honor so she could go back to our tribe with her head held high **

**and all that. In other words, they snookered Dad into toasting her health, but **

**they forgot to mention the added extra ingredients that made sure I'd be showing **

**up in about nine months or so, so you can forgive Aunt Nabiki if she doesn't **

**exactly want to fess up to her part in that arrangement."**

**"I see," the Nabiki in coveralls remarks, "False pretenses and breech of **

**contract, we could be talking about a pretty hefty out-of-court settlement for **

**my client, and all to preserve the reputation of a lady who, I believe, was **

**unintentionally slandered by my client due to tribal litigation of which he was **

**completely unaware and might have stood well had he received proper counsel..."**

**"Hey, whose side are you on?" I hear a version of Akane ask in obvious **

**exasperation, right before her counterpart from a different timeline answers, **

**"If she is anything like the Messalina I know, her own, of course."**

**"Uh...yeah, well..." the robed Ranma shuffles a bit before saying, "That's just **

**it...I was drugged and didn't know what I was doing when Shampoo ensorcelled me **

**into sleeping with her, and I didn't even know she was pregnant..."**

**"Whoah," the redheaded Ranko sniffs while glancing away, "Date rape, huh? Do I **

**ever know what that's like..."**

**"Excuse me?" asks another, younger looking Ranko as she studies her counterpart **

**with a much-vexed expression.**

**"Master?" the striped girl beside her asks with a curious expression.**

**"Master?" I hear Nabiki say as she arches an eyebrow, looking at her adopted **

**kid, "You have been busy..."**

**"Um...well, Mom, it's...kind of complicated," Ranko wilts, "I mean...she's **

**practically like another sister..."**

**"Another one?" Nabiki turns and glares at her husband, "That's it, after this **

**I'm getting you fixed, Mister."**

**"Urk!" Saotome winces, and I can feel for him there, resisting the impulse to **

**cross my legs as Garimel looks at me with an amused hint of mischief in her expression.**

**"Actually..." begins the Centuress named Colt, "Cheshire's mother was a Pokegirl **

**named Nabiki...which kind of makes her sort of like your daughter..."**

**"Pokegirl?" Nabiki arches an eyebrow before giving her husband another look and **

**saying, "All right, you're off the hook for now, but keep it up and I'm gonna **

**have you spayed, you Tomcat you..."**

**Ranma doesn't exactly seem reassured about this, nor can I blame him, even given **

**the evidence of his track record on a dozen different timelines.**

**"Still," the robed Ranma speaks up again, "I don't see how you guys can make **

**light of the fact that I was drugged into having sex with Shampoo so she could **

**have a kid to satisfy some obscure Amazon custom. I never agreed to any of **

**that, Nabiki..."**

**"Maybe not," the robed Nabiki replies with a frank expression, "But what else **

**kind of terms did you expect me to work out for you, Saotome? You made it **

**perfectly clear from the onset that you didn't want to have anything to do with **

**any of your fiancées, and you came to me asking for a way to get clear of your **

**ties and obligations...even to marrying my own little sister."**

**"So you rigged it with Cologne so that I'd get Shampoo pregnant?" the wizard **

**Ranma asks, belaboring the obvious point that he keeps trying to make here.**

**"Amazon law was set up centuries ago to cover many contingencies regarding their **

**conduct, Saotome," the mage Nabiki says flatly, "You found out what would happen **

**to Shampoo on account of your refusing to acknowledge her as your wife, and you **

**wanted to save face for the both of you so she wouldn't wind up paying the **

**penalty for your carelessness and hers. Frankly, I could have cared less if you **

**married her or Akane because I just don't see you being all that stable as a **

**father, but I did the best I knew how, and it worked exactly as ordered. **

**Shampoo became the mother to your son, and by Amazon law that means she proved **

**herself worthy of her husband, but what you didn't know is that the Council **

**pronounced you as legally dead, which by their system makes Shampoo a widow. A **

**widow has status in their society, she is honored as the wife of a great **

**fighter, whereas if she were refused goods they'd be forced to downcheck her **

**worth to that of a refused purchase, and you know what happens to factory goods **

**that get sent back to the manufacturer, right?"**

**"But I never agreed to any of this!" the poor guy sputters in what sounds even **

**to my ears as a desperate attempt to salvage his original outrage, "You never **

**even gave me the chance to decide if this was what I wanted or not...I could **

**have said yes if you'd explained it to me..."**

**"And you could just as easily have said No," the robed Nabiki folds her arms and **

**glares coldly in his direction, "Given your track record, Saotome, Cologne and I **

**decided not to take the chance since a refusal on your part would have been the **

**final blow to Shampoo's ego, proof positive that you care more about yourself **

**than you ever did about her, and since it was the final card she had to play in **

**order to convince her fellow Amazons that she was found worthy in your eyes, **

**just as your constant refusal to acknowledge her petition was taken as evidence **

**that she wasn't woman enough to be worth all the bother."**

**"But I never said she was worthless!" the mage Ranma shoots back, "I didn't want **

**to marry her, I just wanted her to be all right..."**

**"You wanted to salve your own conscience without having to take responsibility **

**for your actions, just like always," mage Nabiki shoots back, "You thought you **

**were trapped, but did you ever stop to think how Shampoo must have felt during **

**the two years that she was after you and got nothing but the cold shoulder? A **

**thing like that takes a toll on a girl's pride, Saotome..."**

**"And what would you know about pride, or even feelings for that matter?" mage **

**Ranma quipped, "You set me up after I came crawling on my knees to you for help..."**

**"I set myself up too, you know," mage Nabiki shoots back with some heat, "The **

**plan was to get you drugged, but in order to make it convincing everyone at that **

**party had to eat and drink the same stuff, so how do you think I felt when I **

**woke up in a few hours and found myself snuggled up in the arms of Kuonji Ukyo?"**

**"What's so strange about that?" I hear the Ukyo in coveralls remark, "Ham often **

**wakes up in my lap, and she's perfectly at home there," which earns a dirty look **

**from the Nabiki who is standing right beside her.**

**"She's also engaged to marry that French guy, the one with the long tongue, **

**remember?" one of the Akanes points out.**

**"Don't remind me," the Nabiki in coverall winces, and-judging who her absent **

**fiancée was by her expression of resigned disgust, I find that I'm in no great **

**hurry to point the finger of marital infidelity in her direction.**

**"You guys must think you're being funny," the mage Ranma glares at no one in **

**particular, "But I'm still the one who's been violated here..."**

**"What's been violated was your pretense to being any kind of gentleman, **

**Saotome," his Nabiki shoots back, "But it did the trick and you got what you **

**wanted, now Shampoo's out of your hair forever, so don't go complaining to me **

**that the means to the end wasn't what you imagined."**

**"Are you listening to this, Ranma-kun?" the Time-Cop Nabiki murmurs to her husband.**

**"Is that a trick question?" he replies gruffly, "Those two are even worse than **

**us on our bad days..."**

**"You still had no right to do that to me," the kid shakes his head in stunned **

**disbelief that he's the one who's being yelled at, "You think this is what I **

**wanted? That a kid of mine grows up without a father, thinking his Pop's a heel **

**because he slept one time with his mother and then tried to forget all about her?"**

**"And does that excuse you from all responsibility concerning the child you **

**helped bring into the world?" a Xian Pu dressed in a simple shift inquires, **

**"Looked for or not, yon boy is your son, after all, and one day you must reckon **

**with the consequences there..."**

**"Hey, I didn't say I was sorry about the kid," the robed Ranma glances over at **

**the purple haired boy in question before adding, "You're a pretty tough caster, **

**and you've obviously had some pretty sharp teachers..."**

**"Thanks, Dad," the boy named Ambrosias says, "And yeah...growing up without **

**knowing you at first was...pretty hard, but I managed to get by," he pauses to **

**puff up his chest with obvious pride, "And when it comes to teachers, I had the **

**best there is, and someday you'll know how hard I've worked to live up to the **

**Anything Goes tradition."**

**"But...didn't you, like, grow up resenting Pop and everything?" the redheaded **

**Ranko asks...or maybe I'm getting her mixed up with the other one who looks a **

**few years younger...this close it's kind of hard to tell the two apart."**

**"No, not really," Ambrosias shrugs, "They told me my Dad died heroically when I **

**was too young to remember him, so I never had cause to think bad about him until **

**I actually met him and found out the real story. I'll admit it was a little **

**hard to accept at first, how you never really did love Mom the way she felt **

**about you and all that, but...having a chance to see first hand what you went **

**through when you were my age...I guess I kind of got over the bad feelings. Or **

**maybe that's just 'cause I inherited your curse that I knew what it's like to **

**get chased by both sexes."**

**"You did?" the blue robed mage Ranma asks with surprise.**

**"Yeah, but unlike you, I kind of...adjusted to it early," the purple haired boy **

**smiles at his father then adds, "I never did understand why you didn't see the **

**advantages in being able to swap genders, Dad, and if you're not going to marry **

**a girl, you ought to at least be able to turn her away satisfied. Or a guy too **

**for that matter."**

**Saotome is not the only one who looks uncomfortable in thinking that one over, **

**in fact, the very effort of doing so helps lighten the mood a little after the **

**oppressive weight of the argument about paternity suits it's nice to have **

**something else to think about that isn't so...demented.**

**"Weird," a purple haired girl. Honeysuckle, I think her name is-she's the one **

**who blasted the Old One a while back-just shakes her head and says, "I can't **

**believe you had to be drugged to sleep with Mom, Dad...that goes completely **

**against everything I ever thought I knew about you..."**

**"Let me guess," says a Xian Pu wearing a lab coat, "You're a wizard too, right?"**

**"No, I'm a Sorceress," the girl replies, "There's a big difference between that **

**and being a Wizard, different schools of magic and all that..."**

**The lab-coated Saotome shakes his head and remarks, "And to think, I never even **

**believed in magic before this..."**

**"Welcome to the club," says the Ranma wearing a school uniform, looking around **

**himself as though he were just a tourist tagging along with these others.**

**"It seems fair to me that you boast an heir who is worthy of your own Ryu, **

**brother," says the Ranma who's dressed up like a Samurai from the pre-Meiji era, **

**"But clearly you do not understand the honor that was done to you by the Amazons **

**of your world."**

**"Honor?" the robed Ranma declares, "I was violated, Pal! Nobody even asked me **

**if I wanted to be a father..."**

**"No," the Samurai replies, "But the obligation was there, even if you choose not **

**to acknowledge it. Why did you consent to enter into a pact with the Amazons if **

**you had no suspicion that there would be a hidden price to your dealings?"**

**"Look," the mage responds, "I only did it because I felt sorry for Shampoo, **

**because they were going to exile her in disgrace from her tribe, and I was **

**afraid that she might hurt herself because of that, or something. All because **

**some dumb law says that I had to marry her after beating her in magical combat..."**

**"And because of that law you are obligated to respect her," the Nabiki dressed **

**in a formal silk hakama responds, "Because a woman's reputation is as important **

**to her as your pride as a man is to you, and to disrespect her tribal standing **

**is to be a man without any concept of honor..."**

**"Worthy of my own father," the bare-chested Gladiator Ranma says with a **

**contemptful snort, "I faced the same choice as you, Brother, but I chose to **

**embrace my destiny, not refuse it, and I know now that I chose for the better."**

**"Hey, why are you making me out to be the bad guy here?" the Mage reacts, "I **

**only agreed that I'd do whatever it took to get Shampoo back her reputation **

**without having to marry her..."**

**"And that mean no make her look like garbage in eyes of tribe," the Valkyrie **

**Shampoo says with a sharp lilt to her voice, "And that why great-grandmother **

**make deal with sneaky Goblin-girl's sister to see that Shampoo no lose face **

**because she no be worthy."**

**"What she said," the Goblin Nabiki seconds with a wry (but toothy) expression, **

**"Face it, Saotome, you're on weak ground to complain because Granny slipped you **

**some juice and you got laid by the Bimbo. Could have been a lot worse from **

**where I'm standing, like if they'd sworn out a blood feud against you, then you **

**could have taken on the entire Amazon nation, including their Council of Elders."**

**"A lot of help you're being, Nabiki," the dwarvish version of Akane protests, **

**"What about Ranma's right to refuse being roped into becoming a father?"**

**"Ah...you know," the version of Saotome who was sporting a monogrammed "S" on **

**his shirt remarks as he scratches behind one ear, "I kind of hate saying this **

**because it strikes a little too close to home and all...but I think I've gotta **

**side with them on this one, Bro. I mean, being forced to marry a girl is one **

**thing, but having her kill herself or be disgraced? That's a little extreme **

**don't you think?"**

**"And what's your idea of fair?" the Ukyo wearing powered armor asks, "Marrying **

**all four of us, Ranchan, and having our kids be raised in a Harem?"**

**"And that's a bad thing in your world?" a dark haired boy I don't know and can't **

**identify (other than the obvious fact that he's a Saotome).**

**"It's perfectly legal in our Empire for a man to take as many as four wives," a **

**pony-tailed girl beside him points out, "If he can support them with means and **

**comfort..."**

**"And can survive the experience," yet another purple haired girl quips beside **

**these others.**

**"Shampoo no see what so wrong with that idea," the purple furred cat-girl **

**shrugs, "Sacred Marriage bands is part of heroic legend of Amazons. Only **

**greatest warriors is strong enough to make four wives happy, and Airen is **

**greatest, strongest, best warrior of all..."**

**"Oh my," said yet another version of Akane, "Four of us...together? But will **

**Ranma-kun really have the time to spend with all of us? And what would we do **

**when he's busy out saving Japan from the aliens and monsters?"**

**"Aside from fighting along at his side?" the Ukyo dressed as a survivalist smiled.**

**"Little sister," yet another version of Nabiki states dryly, "If you have to ask **

**what you can do with four women sharing a house together, then you definitely **

**need to find a clue even worse than I'd imagined..."**

**"Nabiki!" yet again another Akane starts to protest.**

**"Hey, she's making sense, Mom," another kid I can't identify responds, "Let her finish."**

**"Are you nuts?" another one says, "That's the loopiest, most perverted thing I ever...!"**

**I think about that point Saotome and I both have had enough of this because he **

**raises his hand and calls out, "ALL RIGHT-THAT'S ENOUGH, PEOPLE! Let's tone **

**it down a little...you kids are starting to give me a real headache!"**

**That shocks them into silence, and I gratefully breathe in the moment of **

**blinking eyes and non-plussed expressions being turned our way by the assembled **

**youth, but Saotomes and their respective hangers on.**

**Into this silence the Time Cop Nabiki speaks up, "What Ranma-kun means, in his **

**usual blunt manner, that if you will all be patient we'll see about getting you **

**home before things get any more out of hand than they are at the present. Now, **

**if you'll just agree to take it easy and not try and talk all at once we..."**

**"It's gone!"**

**"Eh?" I turn to the version of Saotome who's dressed for a remake of Spatacus **

**and say, "What's that again, Bud?"**

**"The dragon!" his desperate cry and wild panicky expression assures us all that **

**this is NOT A GOOD THING, even before he elaborates, "The dragon within me...I **

**no longer feel it! Him! The shadow of doom that I have carried within me for **

**so long..."**

**"Oh great," winces the Akane dressed like a Roman matron, "And you only just now **

**realized this, Gaius?"**

**"Airen...is dragon gone for good...or just missing?" the Xian Pu wearing the **

**shift asks with deep concern in her tone and expression.**

**"It's...missing," the Roman Ranma replies, "But...I can still feel **

**him...hovering close near by...in fact..."**

**"Uh...people?" the Nabiki wearing the toga remarks while turning to look upward **

**as a looming shadow falls upon us, obscuring the light from the sky that is **

**nearing the sunset, "If the black dragon is no longer within Gaius...then..."**

**A savage snarl completes the job of getting us to shift our attention in the **

**same direction, and then we find ourselves looking up at the looming shadow of **

**death hovering over us with snake-like body, big wide jaws and nasty pointed teeth.**

**"I LIVE AGAIN!" he declares in perfect melodramatic imitation of the very **

**humans he claims to despise, "AND NOW-YOU SHALL FEEL MY WRATH, HUMAN LICE!"**

**"Oh my," the goddess Belldandy remarks, "We forgot all about him..."**

**"You think?" Peorth asks nervously, proving for all time that even goddesses can **

**have moments of near-human panic.**

**"Oh great," I hear Saotome complain as he holds the girl in his arms that much **

**more tightly, "More hard work. Can't we ever even once close a case without **

**last-minute stuff popping out of the woodwork?"**

**I sigh and reach for my sword, even as Garimel draws hers and we prepare to **

**defend both ourselves and the others from the menace of the dragon. **

**Confidentially, the both of us alone are enough to take on just about anything, **

**but with the might that this particular Wyrm commands we both know it's going to **

**be one heck of a struggle, and so we prepare to link resonances with our **

**Starstones when the matter becomes academic once again, which by now is getting **

**to be something of a habit.**

**It's as Nergra'al, the dragon, is rearing back to take a shot at us that he gets **

**hit hard by an energy blast that staggers even his considerable dimensions. **

**Before you know it he goes crashing down a couple of football fields away from **

**our position, shaking the ground good and hard from sheer impact while those of **

**us who are not automatically braced to absorb the shockwave get knocked off our **

**feet and go sprawling. Those of us still coherent enough to trace the line of **

**the blast to its source are shocked to discover the party who is responsible for **

**our rescue. I think I'm the one who's the most surprised of anyone present, **

**because on a multi-choice questionnaire I'd never have imagined that it would be **

**him directly intervening in a battle.**

**"Farhan?" I ask, putting an extra hint of astonishment into turning his name **

**into a question.**

**"Can't stand violence," he says as he stands there with his gleaming platinum **

**sword extended outward, "Never could see what you find so thrilling about it, **

**Chakar. Bloody nuisance if you ask me, all that screaming and yelling and **

**running about. Can't really accomplish much doing all that, talking's a lot **

**better, but you young people just have to go and do things the hard way..."**

**I can see he didn't come alone this time either, but his two lady companions-**

**one a member of the silent crew of his ship, the other...well...Peorth and **

**Belldandy recognize her even before I do and mutually exclaim, "BAST?" in large, **

**bold capital letters.**

**"Pardon for us intruding upon your fight," the Egyptian Cat-Goddess smiles a **

**feline smile that is simultaneously inscrutable and mocking, "But Nergra'al was **

**becoming a pest and we just had to see to it that he did not spoil your little **

**celebration party."**

**"Oh, don't mind us," I say while sheathing my sword, "Feel free to play through, **

**no problem on our end, eh Gari?"**

**"Perhaps," my wife replies while slipping her blade back into its sheath, and I **

**catch in her tone that she is a bit miffed about missing the chance to fight **

**side-by-side with me against a really tough opponent, but she's not about to **

**make a point of it with Farhan in the picture.**

**Saotome stares at the toppled dragon, who even now is trying to get back up to **

**attack us but can't move as though being weighted down by an invisible curtain. **

**He turns and looks at Farhan with renewed respect and says, "You guys just **

**dropped in to join our little party?"**

**"Hardly," Farhan smiles, "I mean to help you out by putting things back the way **

**they ought to be. You have no idea the paperwork this makes upstairs for the **

**service administrators, having to finely balance the fourteen different worlds **

**you hail from, and have you any idea what disruption your absence is causing to **

**the continuity of those timelines? To say nothing of he considerable strain it **

**puts on Yggdrasil having to hold the Multiverse together in place while this **

**many Nexus guardians are clustered on one timeline."**

**"Huh?" I hear Peorth relate, "You're complaining about our paperwork?"**

**"Something very strange here," I hear the Time Cop Nabiki say, "There is **

**definitely more to you than appearances would suggest..."**

**"My dear Lore Master," Bast purrs sweetly, "You have no idea how much more there **

**is to Farhan Silverstar...more even than Chakar here seems to imagine."**

**"I'm...not really sure I like the sound of that," I admit somewhat uneasily.**

**"Oh my," Belldandy remarks, "You have something to do with the Yggdrasil **

**system...don't you?"**

**"My dear," Farhan chuckles, "Who do you think helped design the original **

**hardware for your system? It was one of my pet projects over the millennia, you **

**see, a little something I worked out with Toltiir and the others to insure that **

**the Cosmos would continue to operate smoothly without reverting to the mess we **

**had during the ages of Chaos."**

**"Say what?" I blurt out.**

**"Oh my," Garimel seconds my position, "You mean...you and gods, Farhan? We had **

**no idea you were so well connected."**

**"Wait a second," Saotome frowns, "You helped design the system?"**

**"Of course," Farhan replies, "After the Starstone Relay net it was really not **

**all that difficult. My masterwork was reconfiguring the system structure a **

**couple of thousand years ago to accommodate both mortals and immortals within a **

**hierarchical framework that would allow for the eventual growth and evolution of **

**the human consciousness. It's taken many hundreds of years to work the bugs **

**out, of course, and in the early days we made our share of mistakes, but **

**gradually we've been more and more getting it right, and one day we might even **

**perfect the system so that the ideals that Celestine aspired towards become **

**attainable goals and not merely an act of wishful thinking."**

**"But...sir..." Belldandy seems to have some difficulty with the question that **

**immediately springs into all our minds, "If you are the creator of the **

**system...then...doesn't that mean that you are...?"**

**"Kami-sama?" Farhan seems amused by the question, "Hardly. I leave that **

**particular office to one of my assistants...Susanowo, I believe is currently the **

**holder of the chair of Head Administrator, last I'd checked, though he sometimes **

**switches off with his brother, Tsukiyomi, and their sister Amaterasu. Charming **

**lot those three, among my finest students..."**

**"Wait...hold on here," Saotome pleads, "I'm getting confused by all this. I **

**mean...they're gods, right? And you're..."**

**"A mortal?" Farhan smiles as he continues to point his sword at the helpless **

**dragon, "I was...once, a very long time ago. These days? I'm **

**something...different. You really can't put a term to what I am, but there are **

**things far older than the Gods in creation, my good Master Nexus. I can **

**remember when we of Atlantis worshipped a very different pantheon of Gods, long **

**before the Olympians first drew breath and well into the time of the Silver **

**Millennium itself. Don't bother trying to figure me out, wiser than you have **

**attempted this and come away even more confused than when they started."**

**"Consider it this way if you must," Bast speaks up again with her throaty purr **

**(which I notice is causing more than a few of the kids to look somewhat uneasy), **

**"The Gods of Japan have ruled for less than three thousand years...which is the **

**same allotted time of most major pantheons that sprang up after the last **

**appearance of the Overfiend at the start of this Iron era. Yet in legends all **

**Gods trace their ancestry back to a primal creator being who ruled over time **

**itself in the distant past. For we Egyptians this creative being is Ptah, the **

**father to Ra, who was father to Osiris, who in turn was my own father. For the **

**Greeks it was the spirit of primal Chaos that gave birth to Uranus, and he was **

**father to Chronos, who was the sire of Zeus, who was father to the upstart **

**godling known as Lucifer, of whom the less said is the better."**

**"The Creator God is a legend in all centuries," Nabiki speaks up with that **

**curiously distant voice she uses while making some pronouncement, "Typically he **

**is neither all good nor all bad, but he forms the world and gives it life, then **

**moves on and allows his children to take over. In Christianity, Judaism and **

**Islam the Creator God is also the Personal God who directly intervenes for **

**humanity, but this concept is the exception, not the rule of mythologies the **

**world over. The Buddha was said to have begun as a mortal incarnation of the **

**god Shiva, who himself is an aspect of the Triune Creator Force known as Brahman..."**

**"One aspect of which is Shiva, who currently resides within your husband," **

**Farhan nods before giving me a frank stare and adding, "I don't usually become **

**this open about my little secrets, and Chakar here can tell you that even the **

**rest of our Starlord Pantheon have been kept in the dark for the past fifty-**

**three thousand years of our existence. I'm all that's left of the original **

**research team that discovered Starstone technology right before the close of the **

**Atlantean era, so I have to keep myself hidden in the background and play the **

**neutral observer, but on this one occasion I feel the urge to meddle has gotten **

**the better of me. Besides, it's not often enough that I get to spoil the **

**descendants of my offspring, and what proud grandpa could resist a call like that?"**

**I get a sudden nagging sense of what Farhan is alluding to as I contemplate his **

**connection to the Omnistar, the central hub of the Starstone Matrix relay **

**system. If a Major stone like mine or Gari's can control the mass of an area **

**roughly the size of a football stadium, and a Dominant stone has roughly enough **

**force to totally vaporize a small moon-like object, and the Tristars, when **

**combined, can rearrange the very makeup of a planet...then how much power does **

**the Omnistar wield? Considering its critical connection to the Silverstar, **

**which is the control stone, then that would tend to mean that Farhan has at his **

**disposal the kind of force that would make even the gods sit up and take notice. **

**Small wonder they gave him a chair with long tenure if he really did play key **

**part in the creation of Yggdrasil.**

**I see Farhan nod at me as though he's reading my thoughts (hell, he probably is, **

**my Matrix must make me an open book to him, and considering how paranoid most **

**other Starlords are it's not too surprising that he keeps a thing like this **

**under his non-existent hat...Hell, I'm surprised enough that he even trust me **

**with this knowledge).**

**"Chakar there grasps the basic gist of what I'm about," I hear Farhan say, **

**confirming my suspicions, "But even he isn't up on the full implications of why **

**I'm choosing to reveal my hand now instead of working behind the scenes through **

**lesser agents. Has to do with the fact that Yggdrasil, like the Starstone **

**Matrix system, runs on a delicate balance of interlacing energies that link all **

**living things together throughout the Cosmos. People really do matter to the **

**overall system, even the most base, common and ordinary folk who go about their **

**daily lives trying to get by from one minute to the next. Every now and then **

**you get your rebel upstarts who try to shake up the system...nothing wrong with **

**that per-se, just a healthy outlet of the spiritual and mental growth of **

**intelligence trying to define and identify itself, in fact the whole reason why we **

**created the system in the first place.**

**"But sometimes you get some gifted fella who's a bit overly ambitious with more **

**raw talent than good sense, and while most rebels nip at the hemline of the **

**tapestry of fate hoping to unravel it, these guys take a blowtorch and try to **

**incinerate it altogether. After a while they go too far and have to be snapped **

**back into place, which is why you Heroes come into being...the natural antidote **

**to the Chaos in the system."**

**"And that's why there's someone like me who has to keep an eye on things, and **

**someone like Chakar here, who acts to hold the system in a state of balance. **

**Wolf House was originally founded to keep the more ambitious sorts among the **

**Starlords in check, which is why the Greystar has always worked in resonance **

**with the Silverstar to debug the system and keep the major players honest."**

**"That's all very fascinating, Sir," Peorth speaks up as she glances towards me **

**and Garimel, "But are you guys seriously telling me that this guy is the creator **

**behind Kami-sama? I'm sorry...I'm finding that a stretch and a half..."**

**"Ask him yourself sometime if you doubt me," Farhan sounds more amused than **

**offended, "I don't mind at all if people believe in what I am or not. I have my **

**own covenant with the Creator above all other Creations, the One Beyond Knowing, **

**and by no means do I claim to be him. I'm just the one who thought it would be **

**a nice idea if human beings had divine champions who might occasionally take **

**their side on cosmic issues. Now, if we're quite through discussing my **

**pedigree, let's see what we can do with this troublesome fellow."**

**"You mean the dragon?" Ranma glances at where Nergra'al is still struggling to **

**free himself from whatever is holding him pinned to the tarmac.**

**"Do you mean to kill him?" Belldandy looks troubled by this prospect, "I...I **

**know that he is evil, but still..."**

**"Oh no, I have no intention of bringing an end to his life," Farhan replies, **

**"Nergra'al serves a purpose in the fabric of destiny as much as any of you **

**others, and to do away with him would create a void, especially in the reality **

**that he comes from...your reality, if I'm not too much mistaken my good fellow **

**Gaius."**

**"Me?" the Spatacus clone asks, "I...I have carried this monster inside of me for **

**years..."**

**"Quite a burden, isn't he?" Farhan seems amused, "Small wonder you wanted so **

**much to be rid of him so much. Just imagine having to bear a seedling of that **

**within your soul due to that pact you made...and weren't you the one who, a **

**while ago, spoke so eloquently about living up to one's obligations?"**

**This Gaius guy is silent for several moments, but then he gives the most **

**sobering look at Farhan and says, "You mean to have me take it back into **

**myself...to allow THAT back into my being?"**

**"The choice is yours," Farhan replies, "I certainly won't force it upon you, but **

**you must ask yourself if there is anyone else upon whom you would inflict this **

**burden? The Dragon has a destiny to fulfill, the same as you, and while **

**Celestine may have diverted you both from the destiny that you were about to **

**live through, the fact remains that you are both bound together by the same **

**cords to a fate that is beyond even my ability to envision."**

**Again the silence, then Gaius looks at Farhan and asks, "What would you have me **

**do? See there? He is a monster...he despises humanity. I have felt him **

**gnawing at the edges of my mind for years, and you say that I must take him **

**back, to once gain become his prison?"**

**"If that's how you feel," Farhan replies, "Then I can return him to that lair **

**where you found him, but I can say for certain that without him your destiny **

**does look a lot grimmer. Like it or not, Gaius my boy, you do still need him if **

**you want to achieve the liberation of Japan from Rome that you still fight for."**

**I can see by his expression that this Gaius is thinking it over, but then he **

**finds himself surrounded by the three who obviously came with him to the party, **

**the semi-clad Xian Pu and the two toga-wearing Tendo sisters.**

**"We support you, Airen," Xian Pu remarks.**

**"Like it or not, you're our husband, and that means we're in this together," **

**Agripina (I think that's her name) assures him.**

**"It would seem destiny has bound us all to your dragon, Saotome," the Nabiki-**

**clone...Messalina? (Heh, I refrain from making the mental comparison that **

**springs into mind with the wife of old Claudius, though there does appear to be **

**a passing resemblance between them) intones, "So like it or not, we are with **

**you...and the dragon."**

**The young man draws a deep breath then he sighs, "Then let it be so. If the **

**dragon needs a host, then I will continue to house him."**

**"Good man," Farhan smiles, "You'll go far this time around, I dare say, **

**especially since I've elected to make one or two minor changes to your timeline."**

**And then like that we see the dragon change form from a solid mountainous mass **

**into raw energy, then swirls into a vortex that pools into the sky like a **

**whirlwind, then all at once the funnel arcs down and lands on Gaius with such **

**pinpoint accuracy that our hair is barely even mussed, not that I think he's in **

**any great shape to appreciate matter since he's too busy crying out in stunned **

**awareness that he's swallowing a dragon. If you've ever swallowed a worm in or **

**out of a glass of Tequila maybe you can sympathize with his plight, I only know **

**that it's a bloody bitch to be taking it all down in one straight shot, and a **

**normal guy would be screaming his head off about now, but not this stud. He **

**takes it in and doesn't give an inch to the terror that I just know he's gotta **

**be feeling. That's the sign of a born stoic...that or a determined masochist, **

**either way he's taking it all in and soon there's no trace of the dragon left **

**except for the light that gleams in the eyes for several seconds before **

**vanishing altogether. I've seen that look on demonic possession cases, or guys **

**who've had too much Prozac, and in both cases I tend to call for the local **

**exorcist or witch doctor.**

**In seconds it's all over and the guy straightens up and looks twice as grim as **

**before, like he doesn't do a lot of smiling in his off-hours, even granted the **

**way his purple haired honey touches his arm for reassurance.**

**"Father?" asks the guy who looks like a Japanese Swartzeneggar, which fits **

**considering his name and all that.**

**"I...am well, Son," Gaius replies, which is as bald-faced a lie as I've heard in **

**the past twenty-four hours, but far be it from me to call him out on it in front **

**of family.**

**"Who is this guy?" I hear one of the younger kids-a dark haired girl, one of **

**the Mecha pilots, I think-asks, only to be answered by the blue haired girl **

**beside her, "He believes that he is an agent of the Creator, and I see no reason **

**to dispute this."**

**"Now that we've got that little matter straightened out," Farhan smiles, causing **

**his sword to vanish who knows where (not that he actually needs it), "Time to **

**send you four back to your world. I've already seen to the others, so once **

**you're back we can restart the timeline and get you back on track with your **

**destiny...with a few minor changes to improve things a bit."**

**"A few...changes?" the redhead named Sonja looks alarmed at this, "That's our **

**history you're talking about! You change anything even slightly..."**

**"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that," Farhan winks, "I never sweat the small stuff **

**myself. That's why I created Yggdrasil."**

**Before anyone has time enough to so much as blink the four in question do a **

**fade-out, vanishing so fast that even I have trouble catching their outline as **

**they phase out of quantum resolution and merge with the timestream on a fast **

**track to...somewhere else, I imagine.**

**"Whoah," Ranko exclaims, "That's sure a lot faster than my pendant."**

**"Little lady," Farhan smiles, "Your pendant is a fluke, the way it works is **

**rather haphazard, and I really must speak with someone in the programming **

**department about refining the control circuits and giving you an upgrade. Other **

**than that I'm very impressed with your performance, you take the material you're **

**given and improvise like a Saotome. Which reminds me...one of these days we're **

**going to have to do something about that defective timeline of yours, just **

**doesn't feel right leaving all those billions of people in limbo, besides your **

**sister over here, that is."**

**"Gee, thanks Uncle Farhan," the dark haired girl in the Valkyrie get-up perks up brightly.**

**"Uncle Farhan?" I repeat, arching an eyebrow as I study the old fakir.**

**"Now then," my silver-haired "old buddy" remarks as he turns to the mob gathered **

**around the kid with the "House of El" monogrammed shirt, "Your turn to go home, **

**only I think it's best for all concerned if you don't remember much more than in **

**a dream these events and everything which you just lived through."**

**"Sir?" this Ranma responds, "I wouldn't dream of questioning your judgement, **

**but...why is that? Don't you think we deserve to know what happened, at least **

**so we can explain it to our teachers and parents?"**

**"Nothing to explain if you were to warp back to the point just after you left, **

**before you encountered your parallel selves on all these different timelines," **

**Farhan explains, "And with a restart your reality will go on as it was meant to **

**do, without foreknowledge of how your relationship problems will eventually turn **

**out. Knowing the future is an awfully big responsibility you know, young man, **

**one that's so easy to screw up that even I prefer not to look to far ahead from **

**one moment to the next. It's a very different thing from simply knowing how **

**your life was meant to turn out and actually working to make it happen, and **

**since you didn't know the first time, recreating that sense of wonder defeats **

**the purpose...see what I mean?"**

**"I think I get it," the dark haired kid with the green power ring speaks up, **

**"You mean if Dad tried to make it happen he might not do it right, and then we **

**wouldn't be here because he won't wind up marrying all of our mothers."**

**"Bright lad," Farhan winked, "I can see what the Oans saw in you when they **

**welcomed you into the Corps. Indeed, knowing the future takes much of the fun **

**and mystery out of life...wouldn't wish foreknowledge on anyone, even an **

**enemy...if I had one."**

**"But...that still means Uncle Ranma and our aunts and mothers will all stumble **

**around blindly and make the same mistakes all over," the Ogre girl with the **

**yellow skin and green hair points out, proving once again that she's unusually **

**intelligent for the breed, remarkable given her alleged parentage.**

**"Now then, would you have it any other way?" Farhan asked, "Making mistakes is a **

**part of life, the way in which the universe explores new options, new **

**possibilities, new horizons. Just think of life as though it were a giant DNA **

**strand seeking to evolve. Theoretically there are more possible combinations **

**using sequencing structure than there are molecules in a thousand galaxies. **

**That leaves a lot of territory unexplored, and that's why you can never know **

**more than you do about the cosmos, even if you live to be a thousand times as **

**old as I am."**

**"Easy thing to say if you don't know first hand what it's been like for us **

**growing up," Akai points out, "Our mothers don't always get along so well **

**together, and I've lost count of the number of times they've blown up or wrecked **

**the house together."**

**"Still...if you think it is for the best," this Super version of Saotome **

**relents, "Then I guess I'll have to trust you."**

**"If you trust him then that's good enough for me, Ranma-kun," the Akane standing **

**beside him says with total confidence and an ease that makes her sister selves **

**look at her funny.**

**"I guess that pretty much says it all for the both of us, Sugar," the armored **

**Ukyo concedes.**

**"Aiyaa," the purple furred cat-lady resolves, "Spatula girl and Airen think it **

**okay, then Shampoo agrees, is good for family future, just no see why Crazy girl **

**have to be in same picture."**

**"You tell 'em, Mom," the silver furred Cat girl next in line avers.**

**"Wait a minute," the Nabiki beside them speaks up, "You mean we won't remember **

**anything? Can't we at least get a few hints of what's to come? Some stock **

**tips, lottery numbers, anything like...?"**

**"No, sorry," Farhan smiles, and like before ten kids vanish like magic, leaving **

**an awfully big hole in the ranks of those left behind, who mill around and look **

**a bit more uneasy.**

**"What a pity," I hear Bast muse, "I rather liked those two Amazons, both the **

**mother and her kitten."**

**"Why don't I find that too surprising?" Time Cop Nabiki murmurs.**

**"I don't know if I like this," the Samurai version of Ranma speaks up, "Our **

**memories shape our life experience, and-good or ill-it seems wrong to blank **

**them out with a wave of your hand, Sir. Is this really all for the best?"**

**"You tell me, young fellow," Farhan glances in his direction, "Do you think that **

**you have the wisdom to handle the knowledge of what you might become, or how it **

**is that you came to fall in love with this woman?"**

**Ranma turns to study the face of the Nabiki wearing the hakama, and there's **

**reluctance in his voice as he replies, "I...do not know why such a thing would **

**be...in truth, I barely know her, though our fathers sought to betroth us. I **

**suppose in time, when we have learned more about one another, we might find **

**common ground to form a house together...but still..."**

**"I have a question that I would like to have answered," this Nabiki frowns, **

**pointing towards the kid in the Ninja costume, "If ours is a lawful union, why **

**then did our son turn into a Shinobi? Is the honor of our clan fallen so far **

**that we could accept such a shameful thing in an heir to our house?"**

**"Mother..." the boy in the wraps responds in the tones of a typical teenager.**

**"Well now then," Farhan smiles at them then nods towards me, "If you're afraid **

**of a loss in honor, then why don't you take it up with the fellow who founded **

**the first earliest schools of Ninjutsu. Chakar can tell you why there's no **

**shame in embracing the ways of the Ninja as he originally taught them...after **

**all, that's why he's the Shadowlord."**

**I wince at that even as I feel the eyes swerving to focus upon me, then the Ukyo **

**in the survivalist hunting gear says, "The SHADOWLORD? No way! He's just an **

**old legend...a myth my grandfather told me all about..."**

**"Funny how many old myths turn out to be true, huh?" the dark haired Meiko **

**smirks...and why do I get the funny notion that this girl knows a lot more about **

**me than either of her two parents?**

**"The Shadowlord?" I hear her father say as I try to tough it out, knowing how **

**corny that must sound to the ears of those who were not raised to be Ninja.**

**"One of my husband's many titles," Garimel replies sweetly, proving that I can't **

**even get a break from family-what am I talking about? I NEVER get a break **

**from family, and this is just the latest example!**

**"Yeah...well," I shrug, "It happened over a thousand years ago. I had **

**this...little falling out with a business colleague smf got roughed up pretty **

**bad. I needed a place to hide and recover, and Honshu was looking pretty good **

**that time of the century. I won't go into why I wound up there, but a clan of **

**Samurai took me in and gave me a home in the mountains of Iga. Well, to make a **

**long story short they ran into some hard times, and I was kind of obliged to do **

**something about that. A local warlord was making trouble, and their house was **

**ordered disbanded by the Taiko, who stripped them of their honor on account of a **

**political dispute that wasn't really of their doing. I taught them to fight **

**back and take the war to the guys who were doing them wrong, and that's where I **

**kind of showed them the survival skills that I'd been honing since I was a kid, **

**and that led to the first schools in the mountains of Iga and Koga..."**

**"And that is how Ninjuitsu was born?" Nabiki asks, giving the correct **

**pronunciation as opposed to what the popular tongue rather casually refers to as **

**"Ninjutsu."**

**"That's about it," I nod, "From time to time I've checked back on the clans to **

**see how they were doing, and while some Ninja families have proven to be a big **

**disappointment, others are true to their teachings and preserve themselves by **

**hiding in plain sight. Only rarely have I felt moved to do something about the **

**renegade clans, but that's how the legend of the Shadowlord got born. It's not **

**like I took out a patent, though, and since no two schools of Ninjuitsu are **

**completely alike..."**

**"In other words," Farhan spoke up again, "The branch that your son belongs to is **

**one that protects the people and stresses an honorable Budo, my dear Lady **

**Tendo," he winks before he continues, "So don't be too hasty to judge events **

**before they happen. In fact, that's the whole point why you'd be better off **

**with not knowing the future...do you agree, Lord Saotome?"**

**The Samurai nods once and says, "Given what you have just revealed...I concur **

**that too much knowledge can be hazardous, though doubtlessly I will learn the **

**truth in my own time and pace."**

**"Bright lad," Farhan smiles, "Off you go."**

**There's not even an eyeblink this time as the Samurai and his two lady **

**companions instantly vanish, along side their kid, who's been looking at me a **

**little funny since the name "Shadowlord" was first mentioned..**

**"Whoah," the mage version of Ranma avers, "I'd sure like to know what sort of **

**spell you use to do that..."**

**"What, and reveal all my secrets at once?" Farhan nods, "As your lady friend has **

**said, time is money, and you're both on a very tight budget, so...so long!"**

**And like that three more kids are whisked away into the timestream.**

**The Ranma in the lab coat turns and says, "I'd also like to know how you're **

**doing this. Is it mind over matter? Some psychic talent? I've never seen **

**anybody casually dismiss people like you do before..."**

**"I should hope not," Farhan chuckles, "If you ever do meet a fellow who can do **

**the sort of things I do, then my advice to you would be to run away very **

**quickly. Not that it would make a difference, of course, but there's always the **

**chance that he'd ignore you. Now then, let's see about yourself, shall we? **

**After all, it was one of your experiments that caused this phenomenon to befall **

**Yggdrasil in the first place."**

**"But..." the Xian Pu beside him reluctantly spoke up, "What about that device? **

**It wasn't properly calibrated, yes? So, in other words, if we forget about all **

**that's occurred so far today..."**

**"Mom's right," spoke up a dark haired beauty, "If they forget what happened, then..."**

**"We'll be forced to come back in time and start the whole time warp thing all **

**over," the purple haired boy next to her groans faintly.**

**"Not if the mistake was never made in the first place...and so you never had a **

**reason to go back into the past to cause it by mistake," Farhan winked, "See how **

**that works out now? A few minor adjustments to that satellite and the cycle of **

**paradox is broken, and you get to live on into your own time without the **

**Grandfather effect daunting your existence."**

**"But..." the dark haired girl lifts a finger as if to make a final point, but it **

**gets left unsaid as she, her brother and parents vanish from sight, along with **

**one of the Ukyos, Shampoos, Akanes and Nabikis, leaving the group a whole lot **

**less crowded than they had been to begin with.**

**"Charming girl," Farhan chuckled, "She's going to be a great delight to keen an **

**eye on in the future. Now then, who do we have left? Ah yes...the Hobbit and **

**his companions. Well now, any objections to being returned home in time for dinner?"**

**"None particularly," the fuzzy-footed Ranma takes a puff on his pipe before **

**adding, "Still and all...if what you say was true of the lads in the last group, **

**wouldn't changing their past mean substantially altering the conditions of their **

**present? In other words...would they even be them when they got back?"**

**"Ah, I can see that one should never underestimate you, my good fellow," Farhan **

**smiled, "I was hoping you wouldn't notice that. Well, far be it from me to **

**leave anyone stranded in time deliberately, like the pendant did for fair Ranko. **

**Believe that I'll be making the necessary adjustments to their current makeup to **

**make allowances for the changes. It's really no more difficult than moving **

**energy from one form to another...childsplay when you understand the basic **

**underlying concept."**

**"But...if you can do that..." the seven foot giantess starts to say when she and **

**the other refugees from a Renaissance Fair utterly vanish.**

**"Whoah," the cat-girl named Leona remarks, "Who does this guy think he is, **

**Glenda the Good?"**

**"More like the Supreme God to me," said the stunning blonde at her side.**

**"Oh, hardly that," Farhan smiles, "I'm more like the fellow whom the Supreme God **

**contracts when he's too busy running the Cosmos. Now then," Farhan turns to **

**survey the greatly thinned ranks of the group, "That just leaves you, my good **

**fellow. Anything on your mind that you'd care to ask?"**

**This Ranma is the one who didn't quite fit in with the others, at least to my **

**ability to detect. For one thing he's the only one who's been wearing a regular **

**school uniform for Furinkan High School, not the Chinese get-up I'm used to **

**seeing him in...and for another thing his life aura is a whole lot less intense **

**than his counterparts...almost like that of an ordinary person, which is not **

**something you normally think of when you mention the name Saotome Ranma.**

**The kid's pouting, it's obvious enough that he's not happy about something, and **

**then he speaks his mind and says, "Do we really have to forget about all this? **

**I mean...there may have been a lot of dangerous stuff and all, but it's the most **

**exciting day of my whole entire life, and now I know I'm gonna be a father one **

**of these days, and that Nabiki...ah...I mean...well..." he abruptly colors **

**around the cheeks and looks down, "...I...I just don't wanna forget this."**

**The Nabiki next to him is looking at the boy with a curious expression, likewise **

**her younger sister, who's frown all but accuses him of harboring some kind of **

**unpleasant secret or perverse tendencies that she's yet to discover. And then **

**there's the brown haired kid beside them who's obviously got a lot of pride in **

**his eyes as he regards the two who are quite obviously going to one day become **

**his equally proud parents.**

**"Dear boy," Farhan says with a gentle smile, "Do you really think you'd be any **

**more happy to know what sort of future awaits you...knowing the sort of life you **

**might have lived on other worlds, and possibly even having the power to change **

**your own future for the better or the worse? After all, the girls now with you **

**are only just starting to form an opinion about you based on what they have so **

**far observed, and their own memories will be haunted by the knowledge that you **

**will one day be very important in both of their lives, if for entirely different **

**reasons. Moreover, your son there harbors secrets of his own that might be **

**unmade if you determine in time the course that your life was meant to follow. **

**If you voided the past that is his reality then he might never come into being **

**and wind up as just another maybe, a gleam in the eye that vanishes when you **

**stare too hard. In other words...do you truly possess the wisdom to know how to **

**make your own future happen?"**

**"Ah...well...ah..." the boy's shoulders slump a bit as he concedes the point, **

**"...I...guess not..."**

**"Hey, Pop," the other boy says cheerfully, "Don't sweat it. It all works out **

**for the best, and when you and Mom get done having me you'll still have lots of **

**adventures, so you don't have to worry about that."**

**"Really?" the ordinary looking Ranma looks at his once-and-future kid with **

**surprise and interest.**

**"Sure," the brown haired boy chuckles, "My pop is Saotome Ranma, the toughest **

**martial artist in all Nerima, and an action star who made fifteen pictures that **

**all did well at the box office and made us a wealthy family, even during times **

**when things were not so hot in Japan."**

**"Really?" this younger version of Nabiki says with a speculative gleam in her **

**eyes, "Do go on."**

**"Well," the kid resumes, "Mom here becomes your agent and even your leading lady **

**in a couple of those flicks, though she's not so happy when I decide to follow **

**in your footsteps, even though I've made seven action films so far that have **

**mostly done pretty good. Oh, and Aunt Akane here winds up with Uncle Ryoga and **

**they have a kid who's like my best friend and cousin..."**

**"Say what?" Akane blinks, "Me...and Ryoga-kun...?"**

**"Yeah...but...one thing, Pop," the brown haired boy grows sober, "Think maybe **

**you could skip the part where you and Mom head out to Jusenkyo, China? Oh **

**yeah...and stay clear of that Amazon village, that's how I wound up with a baby **

**brother..." he made a face about that.**

**"You see?" Farhan chuckles once again, "Life for you will be anything but dull **

**from this point onward, young man, so what if you might be haunted for a while **

**by dreams of what you can barely remember? On some level you will remember all **

**of this, but it will fade in time, as memories do, to be replaced by better **

**memories of the life you will lead one day with your chosen fiancée."**

**"Fiancée?" the Nabiki beside the kid arches an eyebrow at this, then studies him **

**once again with a look of interested speculation.**

**"Just remember this," Farhan continued, "We are never the same from one moment **

**to the next, for change is the essential ingredient to life that keeps things **

**from becoming too boring. Predictability is the bane of our existence, though **

**many would prefer a comfortable world of slow and moderate changes. Too bad the **

**world doesn't quite work like that, but who are you going to complain to? Oh, **

**wait...that would be me. Oh well, so who ever said that I was perfect?"**

**"Ah, one question," Nabiki raises a finger to point out, "If this is the guy I'm **

**going to one day marry...is he always going to be this much of a clueless wimp?"**

**"Wimp?" I see the kid version of Ranma bridle at the accusation.**

**"Just kidding," she smiles, even as she and her sister, along with the boy Ranma **

**and their pigtailed son, all vanish.**

**"Now then," Farhan claps his hands and turns to the remaining faces, "That just **

**leaves the Posse. I think it fair to say that each of you represents a very **

**different case from the ones we just had to deal with. You two, for **

**example...the Pirate Slavers."**

**"What about us?" the girl with the salt-and-pepper streaked hair asks with a **

**note of challenge in her voice.**

**"Sister," her cherry-pink haired companion chides, turning resolutely towards **

**Farhan and saying, "We are ready to depart...if that is your wish, Sir. Of **

**course...being who and what you are, if you feel the need to say something about **

**our family's...line of profession..."**

**"Good heavens, no," Farhan chuckles, "I'm not at all that judgmental sort of **

**person you may have heard about. I leave that sort of thing to the younger **

**generation to decide. I'm a fairly neutral fellow and I can tolerate a good **

**deal more than you both seem to realize. Of course, that doesn't mean that I **

**necessarily endorse your activities...after all, every person has a sovereign **

**right to the integrity of both mind and body, and what you do to those innocents **

**with whom you come in contact is still technically a crime by any way of looking **

**at it..."**

**"So? We're outlaws," the one girl sniffs, "We still do what we have to in order **

**to get by."**

**"You mean your sister, Amber, does what she considers necessary," Farhan's tone **

**and expression suddenly convey a note of seriousness, "You, on the other hand, **

**enjoy what you do, and I can tell at a glance that you intend one day to assume **

**the captaincy, even if it means displacing your parents and selling your own **

**siblings into slavery to secure your claim."**

**"Ah...well, as you say, Sir," the girl with the striped hair says with a cunning **

**look, "That is...one possibility...but there are always other possible futures."**

**"So there are indeed," Farhan turned to the other girl and asks, "And do you, **

**knowing full well that your sister harbors such feelings, still endorse her **

**claims to one day be captain?"**

**"If that's what's meant to be, then I won't quibble about it," the cherry-pink **

**haired girl shrugs, "I serve our father loyally, but I also stand by the laws of **

**the Tung Chao, and if my sister is strong enough to wrest control and proves an **

**able enough captain, then she has every right to dispose of us as she sees **

**fit...and besides, is it not poetic justice that those who enslave others should **

**themselves be prepared for the possibility of similar enslavement?"**

**"Well, there you go," Farhan smiled, "So nice to see that poetic justice isn't **

**lost on you. I'll be very interested in watching the outcome of your impending **

**power struggle...as one sailor to another."**

**With that the sisters vanish, even as Farhan turns to the others and says, "As **

**for the rest of you, I see no problem in allowing you to keep your memories **

**since some of you are family and the rest...well, you can certainly profit from **

**your knowledge, but I'm afraid that I'm going to have to insist that my true **

**identity remains a secret. It would spoil all the fun if I allowed it to become **

**common knowledge that I was the one who helped bring the common era into **

**existence."**

**"But..." the redheaded cat-girl starts to protest, "What about our Mecha, my **

**tank? Are we going to get to keep them? Do we have to give them back?"**

**I arch an eyebrow at the rather plaintive tone she's using and wonder if this **

**kid is entirely playing with a full deck.**

**"Well now, that would be rather unsporting of me to deprive you of the toys you **

**worked so hard to achieve, yes?" Farhan chuckled, "Thought I really must see to **

**it that a replacement tank is sent to those three idiot elf-hunters. Really **

**such a bother...ah well, off with you then!"**

**The blonde, the cat-girl and the sorceress with the purple hair do the big wink-**

**out, then Farhan turns to the other trio who are standing off to one side, **

**giving them each an interested study before saying, "And as for you...your **

**parents meddled in forces the like of which they hardly even understood, which **

**is all right and good as things go...if you're prepared to face the **

**consequences. Fortunately your father was a sensible enough fellow to see the **

**folly of his ways and act in time to prevent a catastrophic disaster, and ever **

**since your family's been devoted to the cause of preventing similar such **

**calamities in the future. I've definitely got my eye on you three, and if you **

**prove to be as much of a handful as your parents, then it's very likely we'll be **

**meeting like this again. Just be mindful that you're not the cause of these **

**troubles but stay a part of the solution."**

**"Um...sir?" the dark haired boy remarks, "About the Geomancers. Are you really **

**sure it's safe to let those things continue to exist...knowing what they can do **

**and why they were created?"**

**"My dear boy," Farhan replies, "I know exactly what they are for and what they **

**can do and why you and your sisters were seeking to destroy them in the first **

**place. Unfortunately, the means you used would have proven to be rather highly **

**ineffective, and, as the natural course of your timeline was intended to **

**progress, all you would have achieved was to bind yourself with one of these **

**units while the other one would be mated to one of your two sisters, leaving the **

**other sister to perish at the hands of those rather unpleasant chaps you left **

**buried under that mountain..."**

**"Say what?" the remaining purple haired girl reacts.**

**"One of us...would get killed?" the dark haired girl with the ponytail swallows.**

**"And absorbed into the consciousness of the Mecha that would then be piloted by **

**your sister," Farhan replies, "So you can see why I'm rather reluctant to send **

**you all back to your world for things to play out as they were naturally going. **

**Fortunately, the Geomancers have since aligned with two other candidates who are **

**much better suited to controlling them than you are. Believe me, they will be **

**used for a great and noble purpose, far nobler than all the death and **

**destruction that they would have caused had they remained in the world you hail **

**from. Something else must now take their place in order to preserve the balance **

**of energies within the dimensions, but that gives me quite a bit of leeway to **

**play around with, so you needn't bother yourselves too much about the details."**

**"You mean...we get to keep our new units?" one of the other remaining girls **

**grins wide before glancing at her fraternal twin, "You hear that, Yui? Won't **

**Aunt Misato bust a gut when she hears this!"**

**"Interesting," the blue haired girl responds in her almost toneless manner, **

**"Perhaps they will prove to be the key we need in order to defeat the Jovians."**

**"The Jovians AND the more nasty sort who will follow after them," Farhan **

**responds with a nod, "Now off you go to fight your parents battles."**

**Both the trio of Techno-nerds and the two odd sisters do a vanish, and I can **

**feel the movement of something huge and unseen following after them in the space **

**between the worlds, but of course that's not an immediate concern at the moment. **

**Farhan clearly means to wind this up smooth and efficiently, which is why he's **

**doing the Judge Harry of Night Court act, reading off cases and rendering **

**verdicts the way a storefront Santa might hand out Christmas presents.**

**And that leaves only two future time kids left standing...aside from Ranko and **

**her Valkyrie sister. I'm more than a little surprised myself to see the Centaur **

**and the striped Cat-girl remaining, and I think the surprise is mutual since **

**they both turn inquisitive stares first at Farhan then at Ranko.**

**"Now then," Silverstar remarks, "You two present a very interesting case of **

**special extenuating circumstances. After all, you are both Pokegirls from a **

**world that has suffered much temporal ravishment due to the careless **

**manipulations of that Sukeba fellow. You've also undergone a very intense **

**bonding session with our dear Ms. Ranko here, and that is not a thing to be set **

**aside lightly. I can also tell just by looking that the lines of destiny, which **

**flow both around and through you, has tied you to our young Time Agent, which **

**means you share her path for the immediate future. What happens after this...is **

**entirely of your choosing."**

**"W-What?" Ranko blurts, clearly surprised at this new revelation.**

**There's a slight hesitation on the part of the two beast-girls, then the one **

**called Cheshire says, "Does this mean...I get to keep my Master?"**

**"I certainly won't stand in the way of it...if that is what you desire," Farhan answers.**

**All at once the Pokegirl grins and the next minute she's hugging a flustered **

**Ranko with an enthusiastic, "Master! Oh, I'm so glad, I was so afraid that we **

**were about to get parted and everything...!"**

**"Not for some time to come," the dark haired girl in the Valkyrie armor chuckles **

**softly, "Congratulation, Oneechan, I just know you two are gonna have a lot of **

**swell adventures together."**

**"If that's the case," the Centaur smiles, "Then I'm sticking around too. After **

**all, someone has to keep an eye on Chesh to see her tail doesn't get fried."**

**"Ah...wait a minute," Ranko pleads, "Are you sure this is a good idea? I **

**mean...won't your folks get worried about you...?"**

**"Oh, they might fret about me, Master," Cheshire replies while still hugging the **

**redhead, "But they'll be happy when they learn that I've been Tamed by a **

**powerful Tamer like yourself, and it's so much better to have you for my Master **

**than someone who's less sympathetic, or who's prone to treating me as just some **

**dumb animal to be exploited..."**

**"They...say what?" Ranko blinks.**

**"Not all Tamers are enlightened enough to accept the rights that we Pokegirls **

**have been fighting for since the time of our parents," the Centaur explains, **

**holding out an object, "But if you want to know what there is to know about us, **

**here's the latest edition of the Pokedex that contains our files and all the **

**vital information you need to know to be a good Tamer. Oh, and when you have no **

**immediate use for us, feel free to use the Pokeball. That'll give us a chance **

**to rest up and heal between matches."**

**Ranko takes the hand-held object that looks a bit like a small transistor radio **

**then blinks, "Pokeballs? You mean like...that thing you stuck us in?"**

**In reply to that Cheshire pulls out a round object that's roughly the size of an **

**apple and says, "Pokeball...record and translate, code sequence Cheshire and **

**Colt, absorb and store for later retrieval."**

**In response to this verbal command the lens-like end of the Pokeball shoots out **

**a light that gets pointed at the Centaur, and all at once she converts into a **

**pattern of light and flashes into the ball, so fast that I can barely record it **

**with my greater-than-normal senses. The cat-girl then points the ball at **

**herself and gets absorbed in a similar manner, leaving the ball to drop into the **

**outstretched hand of Ranko, who snatches it up from pure reflex, then stares at **

**the thing in total amazement.**

**I hear Saotome suck in a breath before murmuring to his lady wife, "You **

**following all this?"**

**"As best I'm able," Time Cop Nabiki frowns, "You really need to speak with your **

**daughter about this habit she has of picking up strays..."**

**"Hey, why is she always MY daughter when stuff like this happens?" he growls back.**

**"Because at times such as these she displays more of your traits than mine," **

**Nabiki says primly, "Although, come to think of it, the tendency to draw the **

**admiration and affection of others was rather typical of Akane..."**

**"Yeah," Saotome sniffed, "It's funny...seeing so many copies of her and you, **

**right next to those defective copies of me, sure brings back memories..."**

**"Oh?" Nabiki asks, "Such as how your life might have run if you had married Ukyo **

**or Shampoo instead of me?"**

**"Naw, I don't have to imagine that," he sniffs back, "Ucchan would have treated **

**me like a prince, and Shampoo would have waited on me hand and foot, which is **

**how I can always tell you apart from them..."**

**"Oh, is that so?" she turns to look at him in mock-pout, "In other words you'd **

**rather I be your loving domestic slave, to care for you and wait upon your every **

**need like a domestic servant..."**

**"Naw, I could have had that if I married Kasumi," he shrugs, "Instead I got you, **

**and you cook even worse than Akane, but at least you have sense enough to order **

**take-out."**

**She playfully punches him in the arm and he pretends that it hurts (or maybe **

**it's not pretence...hard enough to tell with those two), but from the way **

**they're grinning at each other you can see that it's an old argument, one they **

**like to play together as opposed to a genuine disagreement.**

**Almost at once Ranko and her Valkyrie sister chorus, "Get a room, you two!" then **

**exchange curious glances with one another.**

**"You mean...?" Ranko pauses to ask, "Even in your day...?"**

**"Oh yeah," the dark haired girl chuckles back, "Five years later and they're **

**still going at it, almost as bad as if they were our age. Sometimes it doesn't **

**pay to bring friends home since the parental units aren't always that discrete, **

**if you know what I mean."**

**"Radical," Ranko winces, "Thanks for the tip, I'll try and keep that in mind for **

**the future."**

**I feel a nudge at my side and catch Garimel looking at me with a tender smirk as **

**she leans closer and murmurs, "You like that Nabiki, I can tell. Is she someone **

**that we should invite over to the mansion?"**

**"Um..." I consider how best to answer that question, knowing full well that with **

**Garimel in this playful a mood a night with the Saotome's is sure to **

**prove...eventful.**

**"Well, guess that means that I should be moving on myself about now," the dark **

**haired girl-Meiko, I think she said her name is-gives her sister and parents **

**an affectionate look, then touches her bracelet and causes a winged horse to **

**appear in the space just a little off to one side, "My work here is done, but **

**there's always another time in this business. See you around, Oneechan, and it **

**was sure nice working with you again. Oh, and no problems, Uncle Farhan, you **

**know your secret's always safe with me."**

**"Do I now?" Farhan smiles, "How very...interesting."**

**With that the girl climbs onto the saddle on the back of the winged horse, and **

**then the two of them rear up in a picturesque manner before both girl and **

**Pegasus wink out of sight altogether, leaving Ranko and her parents to blink **

**their eyes in mutual understated surprise.**

**"Well now," Bast muses, "There's one girl to keep an eye on..."**

**"So that's what Meiko's gonna be like in a few more years, huh?" Saotome says **

**before glancing down at the girl he's still cradling in his arms, "Where did we **

**go right?"**

**"I'm not too sure, Ranma-kun," Nabiki says, "But whatever we did to cause it, I **

**hope we figure it out before it happens."**

**"Ahem," Saotome clears his throat as he turns back to Ranko and adds, "And **

**speaking of bringing friends home, is there something you've been meaning to **

**tell us, Kid?"**

**"Ah...well..." Ranko cringes a bit as she holds up her Pokeball and Pokedex with **

**a sheepish expression.**

**Just then the girl in Saotome's arms wakes up, yawns and looks around, then **

**says, "Where am I? Daddy?"**

**"You're fine, Kid," Ranma immediately tells the dark haired girl, ruffling her **

**hair while glancing at the space where the other girl had been and saying, **

**"Everything's gonna turn out just fine...you can believe me on that..."**

**"Um...sir?" Belldandy timidly steps forward and gives Farhan a serious **

**expression before saying, "Now that you've set things to right...after my **

**careless blunder...I am ready for my turn."**

**"Oh?" Farhan asks the goddess with an enigmatic look, "Your turn for what?"**

**"I am ready to be punished for my crimes, of course," Belldandy glances down, "I **

**let myself be led by Celestine down a terrible road that wound up costing **

**everyone and everything that I held dear...and I find that I cannot forgive **

**myself for making such an error. If not for me...then an entire world would not **

**have been ravaged by the old ones..."**

**"Yes, about that," Farhan smiles, "Don't let it happen again. It's going to **

**take some time to repair the damages wrought to your world, but I've asked the **

**Tristars to look into that, and they should be able to restore the balance in a **

**few odd cycles. Of course...the question of what to do with you does remain to **

**be answered...which reminds me. Before we deal with you we ought to attend to **

**the true guilty party."**

**"Celestine?" Peorth asks, "But...he's dead...isn't he?"**

**"No excuse for lying down on the job," and with that Farhan stretches out a hand **

**and causes energy to swirl around it, particles from the very air forming and **

**congealing into a lump that gradually takes the shape of an icon that looks like **

**a miniature face mask. A moment later Farhan projects the outer form of the guy **

**we just defeated, then before our very eyes Celestine is standing there, large **

**as life and looking even more confused about it than we are.**

**"I...I live?" he asks in the usual redundant manner people have for stating the **

**obvious as though not quite believing his own senses.**

**"Ergo sum proctor," Farhan replies, "As energy can never be destroyed, only **

**converted from one form to the next, I have reconstituted your being so that we **

**might have this little chat concerning your recent misbehavior."**

**I see defiance flare up and die in Celestine's eyes, smothered in an instant as **

**he stares in disbelief at the silver haired man before him.**

**"You...are the creator?" he gasps in astonished disbelief.**

**Farhan sighs, "Why does everyone always leap to that assumption? You think I'm **

**the supreme god or something? Sorry to disappoint you, but as I said before, **

**I'm the one he sends in to do the job when he's too busy."**

**"What...what could you possibly want with me?" Am I imagining things or is **

**Celestine sweating?**

**"I think you already know the answer to that one, my dear fellow," Farhan says **

**with a touch of frost in his expression, "I am very cross with you...you have **

**caused me a great deal of time and inconvenience with your little attempted **

**coup, and on more than one occasion. Other versions of you in time learned from **

**their folly to repent their error, but not you...you slipped into the convenient **

**platform of madness. Well, I'm not quite that forgiving a fellow, and now **

**you're going to have to answer to me directly for your sins. Are you ready now **

**to hear my pronouncement?"**

**"W-W-What do you...?" Celestine asks like a man already condemned to the gallows.**

**"Merely punishing you the first time was clearly a mistake," Farhan replies, **

**"Imprisoning you on the moon was Kami-sama's idea, but I could have told him you **

**would eventually find a way to release yourself using some other party for your **

**catspaw. Having failed twice in your schemes of remaking the established order, **

**you tried for a third time and wound up creating a Timestorm that very well **

**might have been the end of everything. Clearly death would be a mercy compared **

**to the fate that you nearly consigned a thousand-times-a-thousand dimensions, **

**and merely locking you away in either Tartarus or Hell would just mean deferring **

**the problem for a few more centuries, at best. No, I think I have a much better **

**use for you than that, my dear fellow, and even a minor Godling, such as **

**yourself, must reckon that Heavenly justice should always fit the crime **

**committed, yes?"**

**"I...I..." Celestine tries to struggle in the grip of Farhan's stare, but in the **

**end he winds up looking down at his feet before saying, "...Yes. I admit my **

**mistake...I am ready to be punished."**

**"Good," Farhan replied, "Then I am exiling you to your home dimension for a **

**duration no less than the time that it will take for you to repair the damage **

**you brought there. You are to fix the broken seals on the dimensional gates, **

**after which you will expunge every last trace of the Chaos infection, then you **

**will tend to Peorth, the goddess you so deeply wronged, and bring her back into **

**a state of grace and constitution. Do all that and we will further review your **

**sentence...consider it an act of community service, and far more lenient than **

**you deserve considering how you so callously used Belldandy and her love for her **

**beloved fellow student. You also forbidden to have any contact with her until **

**such time as I deem that you are ready."**

**"A harsh sentence, indeed," Celestine winces, "But...I will carry it out as you **

**command, Lord Silverstar."**

**"Good," Farhan nods, "A man of your considerable talents should have gone far **

**within the system, if you hadn't let your own pride and presumption blind you to **

**the mission. It is one thing to have compassion for those less fortunate than **

**yourself, it is quite another thing to want to impose your views of justice and **

**order upon a people who deserve much better than a false paradise thrust upon **

**them. Now, carry out your sentence and I'll be around to check on you from time **

**to time to see what progress you are making. Bast here has generously offered **

**to be your sponsor...please her and you will please me, is this understood?"**

**"Yes," Celestine replies, then vanishes away to the hell of his own making.**

**"Now then," Farhan turns back to Belldandy, "As for you, Goddess...I think your **

**punishment has already been served. You must live with the memories of what you **

**did and allowed to have done to you, much though you were an innocent who **

**blindly trusted a cunning teacher. The loss of your love is what brought about **

**your undoing, but you can still redeem yourself when your true love is returned **

**to you. In the meantime I am assigning you to Peorth...assuming you wish the **

**duties of her parole officer, that is."**

**"What?" Peorth blinked, "You mean...Belldandy? But what about...?"**

**"I've already taken the liberty of altering her quantum signature so that there **

**won't be any conflicts within the system," Farhan reassures us, "I think this **

**universe could stand to have two Belldandys in it, and as long as you are there **

**to see to her rehabilitation...after all, can you think of a more competent **

**assistant in your post as central administrator?"**

**"Ah...well..." Peorth hesitates before turning a look towards Belldandy, **

**"I...suppose I could make allowances for this. After all, we were...friends **

**once, right?"**

**"Oh...Peorth!" Belldandy all but melts into the arms of the other goddess, **

**hugging her tightly, "I'm so glad that we can be together...even if it will be **

**different than before. I promise to do everything within my power to assist **

**you, and you won't regret having me with you, I promise you that..."**

**"Um...well..." Peorth stammers for a moment, then I see her expression soften as **

**she tentatively puts her arms around her fellow goddess and says, "We'll...talk **

**about it later, all right?"**

**"Ah yes, I do so love my job," Farhan smiles, turning at last towards the Gates **

**of Ashkelon and saying, "As for this thing...poor relic that it is of yet **

**another failed program gone awry...my thanks to you, Lady Saotome, for helping **

**to correct that design flaw. It should work properly now as a testing device **

**since you've recalibrated the standards so that they are far less...demanding **

**than in the past. I really must get about more often...there are far too many **

**of these abandoned projects lying around for anyone's peace of mind, I think."**

**"Glad to help out," Nabiki replies, "But I'm curious...why have such testing **

**devices in the first place?"**

**"It all has to do with the basic program of graduated spiritual evolution," **

**Farhan answers, "Since the fall of the races during the first Chaos War humanity **

**has been steadily climbing back from the primordial slime into which we were **

**downcast. It was thought that human beings contain within us the potential to **

**gradually self-improve ourselves as the memory of what we once were filters **

**slowly into the overall system. The Gate, like many others of similar nature, **

**was intended to measure the progress at which the races are evolving back from **

**the brink to eventual enlightenment...but over time the program went wrong and **

**it has instead wound up becoming a separation device that parts lovers who are **

**not entirely suited for one another. A terrible mistake, really, though **

**Celestine misunderstood both its design and basic intentions. Now it should **

**function as it was meant to, not as a means of keeping the different worlds **

**separate but as helping to unite us as we follow the Way of Return to eventual **

**spiritual reunion."**

**"Makes sense...I guess," Ranma says as he sets his eleven-year-old charge down **

**on her feet then ruffles her hair before saying, "Guess that means we're done **

**here. Ready to get back to your new home, Kid?"**

**"I'm ready, Dad," the dark haired girl replies, "How about you, Oneechan?"**

**"Guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be," Ranko glances at the Pokeball then starts **

**to fit it on her belt.**

**"Just one minute, young lady," Nabiki speaks up, "You still haven't answered my **

**question, so I'll ask again...what have you been up to, and how did you get **

**those two...um...sisters in your possession?"**

**"Ah...well," Ranko winces, holding up the Pokeball, "Would you believe they **

**followed me home...so do I get to keep them...?"**

**Continued.**

**Comments/Criticisms/Crisis Management Hotline for the Gods: **

**shadowmane **

**The final (HONESTLY!) chapter in this series occurs next time as we look in on **

**the restored lives of the Saotome Posse and what happens next for the various **

**Ranmas. Stay tuned for the resolution solution to this saga in: "Saotome **

**Nights," or, "Warping the Light Fantastic!" Be there!**

**X**

**If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction **

**webpage at: ~ All related chapters **

**of this series can be found there along with my other works.**


	21. Chapter 21

RanWarp21

Realities Warped!

By

Jim Robert Bader

(Inspired by the works of Rumiko Takahashi and

other artists too numerous to mention. The characters

Chakar Shadowmane, Garimel Shalestar and Farhan Silverstar,

however, were created by me, while Trella (RA Curtis) provided

some of the characters and ideas that appear within these chapters,

based on her series "Aiyaa, My Goddess!" Other ideas and concepts

were inspired by the fanfics authored by Gregg Sharp, Steve Thesken,

Andy Kent and assorted other such creative talents to whom no blame

and/or credit can be attributed for the writing of this series. All

ideas and character concepts belong to these authors and may

be borrowed (and/or plagiarized) only with the loosely given

permission of these authors. You have been so duly advised.

Chapter Twenty-One.

Flotsam on the Seas of Fate

Continuum #10243469

Ranma blinked his eyes then glanced around, seeing his family and friends

gathered about in the outdoor restaurant portion of the Tendo properties with

himself smoking his favorite pipe while Shampoo and Ukyo served up the latest

dishes whipped up in the kitchen. For a moment he wondered if he'd been asleep

and having a dream or something...some dimly remembered thing about a large gate

and a flat marble plain and some nonsense about gods with a seven foot girl

claiming to be one of his get running about with other versions of himself and

his kinfolk. It was all a blur now, but for a time there it seemed as though

they were fighting for the sake of all humanity and not just the Middle Earth he

called his home, and there were a lot of unanswered questions that had been

nagging about in his mind...only now it seemed more smoke than substance, the

residue of a really bad batch of pipeweed.

He glanced at his pipe then calmly upended it and flecked out the offending

batch, then rightened it up again and fetched out a pouch of the less wicked Old

Farthing and calmly set himself a smoke, using a bit of Chi magic to ignite it.

He then took a long puff and held it before releasing a huge smoke ring,

savoring the familiar tingle it always gave to his innards, then he smiled aloud

and said, "Now this is all a man needs to be at peace..."

"Glad someone here is enjoying himself."

Ranma glanced up and saw Nabiki hovering over him, and since he was in a fair

mood at the moment he asked, "Something on your mind, 'Biki my girl?"

"I'm not your girl, Saotome," the Goblin replied as she sat down on the bench

beside him, "You must have me confused with the rest of your harem. I just

wanted to confirm for myself if you were feeling it like I do."

"Feeling what?" Ranma asked as he hooked his hairy feet under the table and

cupped his hands behind his head to give his prospective sister-in-law an amused

lookover.

"That something very significant just occurred," Nabiki replied, "Something for

which we have no immediate recollection. You feel anything like that?"

Ranma frowned a bit in puzzlement, "Well, now that you mention it, it does feel

a bit like I was having a chat with a bloke who looked a lot like me, only he

was a Wizard, if you can believe it..."

"Actually I do," Nabiki held out her hand and displayed an object that looked a

bit like a diamond ring but of very fine manufacture, "In fact, I crafted this

myself before suffering that inexplicable sense of time loss just now. It's a

little 'remember me' token I thought might come in handy, like tying a string

around a finger..."

Ranma gave the ring a cursory look and nodded. One of the beneficial effects of

the middle Tendo sister's transformation into one of the Goblin folk was that

she had gained an intimate knowledge of metal and jewel smithing, the ability to

create beautiful objects out of seemingly ordinary matter that she often sold to

help raise funds for the house. Some of these objects she could work charms and

low-level spells into their manufacture, and clearly this was one such artifact

as Ranma could discern the faint glow it gave off to his Chi-honed senses.

"And where's you find the stone to make that?" he asked.

"That's just it," Nabiki said, "I cannot remember. Goblins prize our memories,

and for me not to have a clear thought as to the manufacture of this

trinket...disturbs me greatly."

Ranma nodded, "There's an enchantment at work, no doubt, but doesn't seem

malicious or so far harmful. Still...might do to check it out with the Oni

later on, just in case it's something important."

"My thoughts on the matter exactly," Nabiki said before getting up again,

unaware that Ranma was tracing her movements with an appreciative eye, thinking

to himself that-for a Goblin-Nabiki was still a fair piece of feminine glory

at that...

He scowled, wondering where that had suddenly come from. Why on Middle Earth

would he be thinking a thing like that about a money-grubbing sharp-toothed

cousin to an Orc all of a sudden? As if he didn't have his hands full enough

with the likes of his Valkyrie and Ranger girlfriends, to say nothing of his

other lady love...

"IS EVERYTHING ALL RIGHT SO FAR, RANMA-KUN?"

He smiled and glanced up at the fifty-three foot tall Kasumi, "Right enough,

Kasumi my dear. Time enough for a second helping of your finest. I feel as

though I've worked up a fearsome appetite for some odd reason, so as long as you

can keep 'em coming..."

"WITH PLEASURE, RANMA-KUN," Kasumi replied, and at once turned her attention

back towards the colossal blast-furnace like stove with its industrial-sized

kettle filled with tasty, tender ramen noodles that Ukyo and Shampoo helpfully

provided, and the pot of rice that had yet to be fully emptied as she indulged

her greatest pleasure in life, serving her man with a meal fit to heroic

proportions...

Continuum #034280961

"Oh dear," Lord Soun blinked his eyes and glanced around, then turned to the

young man before him and said, "I am sorry...I seem to be a bit confused over

something. I feel as though I have nodded off from a lack of proper rest...no

doubt my mind is getting a bit slow in my declining years..."

"Quite all right, Lord Tendo," Ranma frowned, "I feel as if I, too, have

suffered a momentary lapse there. Could be the air is a bit heady within this

chamber. Perhaps a bit of ventilation would suffice to clear away the cobwebs."

"Yes, of course you are right," Soun waved his fan at one of the servants and

said, "Some ventilation, please."

At once his house retainers moved to do their Daimyo's bidding, opening some

panels that permitted a cooling breeze to filter in, then Lord Soun took a deep

breath and smiled, savoring the aroma of cherry blossoms from his garden, which

refreshed him enough to turn back to the young man and ask politely,

"Now...where were we?"

"We were discussing a matter that my father proposed with you long ago to engage

me to one of your lovely daughters," Ranma noted simply.

"Ah, quite right!" Soun smiled, "Akane-chan, Nabiki-chan, Kasumi-chan...one of

you will wed Lord Saotome's son and become my lawful heir. Now, dear boy, which

one of them do you favor?"

Ranma frowned, certain that they had already had this discussion somewhere

before, but did not wish to seem impolite in mentioning it like an ill-born

peasant. He turned his focus towards the three sisters, surprised to find that

the one named Akane was sitting on a pillow next to her sisters, which nagged

his memories for a bit as he seemed to dimly recall her having attacked him with

a naginata. The last he seemed to recall was the sight of her sprawled out

unconscious on the floor, but as this clearly was not the case he felt reluctant

to dwell upon the matter.

Soun saw the direction of his eyes but misunderstood his intentions, "Ah, so you

would marry Akane? An excellent choice. She is a strong and capable..."

"Please excuse me, Lord Tendo," Ranma hastily spoke up, "But that is not my

selection."

"Oh?" Soun seemed puzzled at this.

"In truth, though I am certain all of your daughters would make lovely brides

and have many pleasing qualities that any man might rightfully desire their

company," he tactfully continued, "But I have lived too long the life of a Ronin

to find the idea of settling down this early in my youth appealing. However..."

Almost of their own accord his eyes moved to the two older sisters, dismissing

Kasumi after a careful search of her guileless beauty and aura of innocence,

instead moving towards the more cunning and shifty of the three sisters, seeing

Nabiki acknowledge his glance with a lifting of an eyebrow.

"Nabiki," he declared, seeing relief and annoyance play across the face of Akane

while Kasumi similarly appeared quite at peace with the decision. Nabiki, on

the other hand, registered her surprise with a raising of both eyebrows, showing

that-sophisticate though she quite obviously was-he still had the capacity

to surprise her, which for some obscure reason pleased him greatly.

"Oho?" Soun himself looked quite surprised over his selection, "An interesting

choice...but why her and not my other daughters?"

"I...cannot honestly say, my Lord," Ranma reluctantly admitted, "Unless,

perhaps, it is the cunning of her smile I fancy, the hint of subtle depths and a

capacity for intrigue that challenges me more than your other daughters. Kasumi

is quite fair and I do not doubt that she will have no difficulty in finding a

proper husband, some fortunate man who will be deeply honored by her favors.

Akane is clearly spirited, but I think a few more years of maturity might do her

better rather than marrying young before she is ready for such responsibility.

At least...that is how I judge the matter. Perhaps if I spent more time with

them to get to know them better..."

"Quite right," Lord Soun agreed, "Nabiki, my clever child, you are now engaged

to Lord Ranma. Do I take it you have no objections to the matter?"

Nabiki hesitated for a moment, frowning as she stared back at the young Ronin,

but then something within her moved to say yes, and she relaxed by a fraction as

she said, "I will not oppose your decision, father. In truth...there is

something about our young Ronin here that intrigues me..."

The two of them locked eyes together, and for a moment it was as though a thrill

of destiny passed through them. Ranma was not certain if his choice was correct

or necessarily for the best, but he did indeed feel a connection with this

Nabiki of clan Tendo, and he intended to discover more about her through time

and patient research, preferably by getting her firmly on his side so that he

did not always have to glance over his shoulder to see what she was up to.

Somehow, though, he was certain that being around her would be anything but dull

in the near future...

Continuum #09175263

Ranma blinked his eyes and glanced around, seeing the curious looks that he was

getting from Daisuke and Hiroshi.

"Hey man, you all right?" Daisuke asked.

"What did you just get up for like that?" Hiroshi wondered, "You want a second

helping of lunch or something?"

Ranma paused, trying to recall the reason for why he had gotten to his feet with

such an expression of alarm, but the only thing that came to mind was, "Shampoo..."

"Oh yeah," Daisuke nodded in understanding, "Rough business that, finding out

about the kid..."

"What are you gonna do about that, man?" Hiroshi asked, "Because I know if it

was me who got rooked into something like that, only I couldn't remember..."

"Aw, you'd just be sore that you forgot all the best parts," Daisuke playfully

nudged his best friend, "You know you wouldn't mind if some cute girl drugged

you and..."

"Nabiki," Ranma pivoted around and started taking off at a run.

"Nabiki?" Hiroshi and Daisuke chorused together before exchanging worried looks,

the former saying, "You think he's gonna try and take it out of her hide?" with

Daisuke providing the inevitable counterpoint, "Naw, no way, he'd never be able

to afford her rates..."

"Mr. Saotome," the Headmaster addressed him, appearing slightly off to the side

from Ranma's planned path of egress, "I trust that you do have a very good

reason for excusing yourself from the table in such haste?"

"Trust me, Prof," Ranma assured him in passing, "I've got a helluva good reason..."

He managed to cross the campus from the Commons to the Eastern Wing and just

caught up with a certain robed student of Financial Wizardry before she had time

to make her own timely exit from the lady's dormitory.

She yelped as she turned around and found Ranma blocking her way, then he leaned

up against her and put one hand on the brickface wall to her left, making sure

he had her full attention before murmuring, "Going somewhere, Tendo-kun?"

Nabiki gasped, realizing that she was in serious deep trouble, but still she had

wits enough to attempt a good bluff, "What do you want, Saotome? I've got

business elsewhere..."

"I think you already know what I want with you, Nabiki," Ranma all but dripped

with sarcasm, "We have to talk...about a little spell and that deal you worked

out for me to get Shampoo off the hook a year back?"

Nabiki was not a coward, not really, nor was she excessively brave, being more

cautious by nature than foolhardy, but looking directly into the serious

expression on Ranma's face was enough to convince her that bluffing her way out

of this was definitely not an option. Instead she gave him her patented icy

stare and said, "What do you want me to say, Saotome? You wanted her off your

back, and that's what I got you."

He slammed his fist into the wall and she jumped, even in spite of the fact that

she knew full well that he would never use violence against her. Magic, on the

other hand, was another issue, and knowing just how powerful a Mage he was gave

Nabiki some cause to inwardly question her resolve in the face of his clear anger.

"You call that getting me off the hook?" Ranma glared at her, "And did you ever

stop to think how I'd feel finding out about it a year later?"

Despite a trembling in her knees, Nabiki refused to budge an inch, "She loved

you, you never loved her, and all you cared about was getting it over with a

clear conscience. Couldn't have your nobility be stained by having to commit to

her, oh no! Not the great Saotome Ranma. So instead of marrying her you made a

different kind of demonstration of your affections, one we all got caught up in,

including me, so don't act like you're the only aggrieved party, Mister High and

Mighty Archmage Ranma..."

He had never raised his hand against her before, nor even so much as cast a

single hostile incantation, but right there and then he felt enormously tempted

to vent his wrath upon the girl before him, even knowing it would be an uneven,

one-sided demonstration of his superiority, needless and excessive and therefore

unworthy of his personal code, to say nothing of making him feel like a heel and a bully.

Instead he growled in a low tone of voice, "I've turned opponents into small

furry things for less than this, Nabiki. How would you like to spend the rest

of the semester in a rat cage? It would serve you right..."

"Oh, is that a threat I hear now?" Nabiki shot back, now clearly demonstrating

that she had plenty of anger to match his own, "Well, do your worst, Saotome!

You've already pretty much ruined my family and made my little sister's life a

living hell, so why stop with me? We both know you don't have the stomach for

picking a real fight with me, but you can sure as hell play around with the

affections of women and get away with it, Mister 'I'm too good for you all and I

know it...'"

In spite of his anger something in her tone puzzled him more than the actual

hurt that he was hearing in Nabiki's voice, "What are you talking about? I

never led anybody on, I never promised anything to anybody. It was all Pop's

stupid fault for mixing me up with you Tendos, and those Amazons, and Ucchan. I

never asked to get engaged to anybody in the first place, but you're acting like

it was my fault? Get real...!"

"You may not have asked to get engaged to us, Ranma-kun," Nabiki spoke with

calm, clear, crisp words that had their own quiet impact, "But you sure as hell

ought to acknowledge that you had an effect on all of us, both for good and for

ill, and it wasn't just because of your idiot father. Shampoo didn't just fall

for you because some tribal law dictated that she had to marry the superior

Wizard, her feelings were legitimate enough as far as she was concerned, and

that obligated you to take those feelings into consideration rather than stomp

on them and drag her through the dirt just because you didn't want to be

bothered. Do you have any idea what that sort of thing is like for a girl's

self esteem? No, of course you don't! Even when you turn into a girl you're

too full of yourself to care about what others think and feel, just like you

treated Akane as if she were some nuisance your Dad draped around your neck..."

"Hold up a minute," Ranma frowned, more puzzled than ever, "Akane and me agreed

to put things off for a while, and the last I'd heard she was doing all right

for herself, and so far as I know your family's reputation isn't suffering any..."

"I'm surprised you've even bothered to check," Nabiki snorted, "And good

riddance for Akane that she's finally away from you so you don't have to act

like she's a burden dragging you down. You can go on to fulfill your career in

magic without anyone or anything encumbering you. You're free as a bird, so I

hope you live a very long time and get to enjoy your freedom...for all the good

it does you."

Ranma studied the girl before him very carefully before saying, "And did you

know that Shampoo delivered a baby just a couple of months ago?"

Surprise bordering on shock registered in the eyes of the middle Tendo daughter,

to be covered up immediately as she narrowed her stare and frowned at him in

consternation.

"Well, aren't you the lucky stud?" she said through gritted teeth, "Guess that

means the old biddy got her way after all..."

"You didn't think it was likely?" Ranma asked, "You just thought I got a nice

screw and that was it?"

"What do I look like to you, Saotome, your pimp?" Nabiki stated flatly.

"Maybe the next best thing," Ranma replied, "Considering all those crystal

lenses you used to sell around the campus that reflected images of me in my male

and girl form, some of them without much in the way of clothing."

Again the flat stare, but there was a slight twitching of the eyebrows.

"You know," Ranma said slowly, "Despite what you may think about me, I'm not all

that stupid, and I have a pretty good memory, and I could almost swear a minute

ago you said that I was engaged to 'us,' end quote, as opposed to, 'them,' which

is what I thought you meant. You wouldn't happen to be referring to that brief

time when you and Akane switched engagements...so you could drag me by the nose

and pretend to be my fiancée?"

The evasiveness was back, but so was a guilty sense of being caught in the open

with a slip of the tongue that had exposed more than intended.

"So, I had an effect on you too, huh, is that it?" Ranma asked her.

"You're full of yourself, you know that?" Nabiki responded, "Not every girl you

meet falls head over heels for that manly charm of yours..."

"Maybe not every girl," Ranma stared at her, compelling her to maintain eye

contact, "But I'll admit I did maybe kind of charm a few girls that I thought

I'd got to know pretty well, but there's one who's always been an enigma to me

since she keeps her emotions under such a tight little rein, and she's always

doing stuff to annoy me, like I did something to her to provoke her, and she

never gives me a straight answer to any of the questions I really want to ask

her. So...how about it, Nabiki? Did you set me up a year ago because you

wanted to punish me for never having noticed you? Or was it just another

thoughtless act with unintended consequences that you cooked up to prove to me

how much smarter you are, and how much you can really mess up my life while

pretending to be helpful?"

All at once Nabiki flared at him, "I hate you!" and without another word she

pushed her way past him, storming off and away from the building, but not

towards the main study hall, as if she were trying to avoid coming into contact

with any of their fellow students.

Ranma turned to watch her go, his expression altering from annoyance to

vexation. It was only just beginning to dawn on him that he had been pretty

slow on the uptake if it had taken him this long to figure something like this

out about Nabiki.

"Guess maybe I am an idiot," he murmured softly, then frowned to himself as he

started to think it over, and after a few seconds he growled, "Oh hell..." and

immediately took on after her, hastening his pace as he sought to catch up with

Nabiki, knowing full well what he would find when he saw her face this time, and

since he always hated seeing girls crying over him he intended to do something

about it this time...one way or the other...

Continuum #010924397

Ranma dusted his hands off as he headed into the main school building, smiling

as he noted, "Well, that was nice workout, but I'm glad those guys didn't keep

me too busy this time. I'd really hate it they made us late for classes."

"Not too bad, Ranma-kun," Akane said brightly, "Finished them off in record

time, and you even managed to talk Kodachi into letting things slide for a while."

"Ranma too-too terrific," Shampoo gushed as the purple furred cat-girl trotted

in on Ranma's wake.

"For once we're in agreement on something," Ukyo "Iron Chef" Kuonji mused as she

kept pace with the others, "Those losers never seem to get the point that our

Ranchan is invincible, and anyone who doubts that better stay out of his way."

"Hey, I'm flattered you guys are in my corner and all that," Ranma replied, "But

that Kuno slices a pretty mean sword, the Incredible Oni is...well...pretty

incredible as a fighter, and that Mousse-uh-I mean, Dark Mallard, is pretty

good at thinking up traps and stuff that actually give me a problem. As for

Kodachi...well, you'd think that, with a loving servant like Nabiki, that she

wouldn't even be chasing after guys to add me to her collection, but I try to be

polite to her and all. Besides, it's not like any of those guys ever actually

hurts me by ganging up on me in the morning."

"That's your problem, Ranma-kun," Akane cheerfully pointed out, "You're too soft

on them. At times like this you need to be a lot firmer in telling them to take

a hike...though with Kodachi, I dunno. I guess you have a point...she can be

awfully cute while playing a super-villain."

"Well, just so the teacher doesn't make us wait out in the hallway for being

late and all," Ranma shrugged, "I mean, the Principal himself is part of the

reason why we get delayed every morning...which reminds me, how long is it until

lunch? I'm starving."

All three girls smiled at this, then all three pulled out bento lunches from

seeming nowhere. Or, rather, Ukyo and Shampoo produced pre-made lunches that

they were ready to sacrifice for the good of their Ranma, while the object in

Akane's hand...did not exactly fit the description of boxed lunch. In fact, it

looked as though it should have a HAZMAT symbol painted on the sides to warn off

innocent civilians. Just smelling the thing caused the Iron Chef and Velvet

Pussy to turn up their noses and wince in mutual dismay.

"Try my lunch, Ranma-kun," Akane proudly displayed her offering, "I worked extra

hard on it, so I want to know if you really, really like it."

For the first time all morning Ranma broke out into a cold sweat and stared in

disbelief at the offering, which-even without his fantastically enhanced

powers of perception-he could tell was not fit for humanoid consumption.

Seeing the earnest, hopeful look in Akane's eyes, however, made the mere thought

of turning her down even more odious since he never could bring himself to do or

say anything that would hurt his fiancée's feelings.

"I...ah...don't know what to say," Ranma said with absolute truthfulness,

wondering if there might be a fire or other emergency somewhere that he could

use as a handy excuse to rush off out of danger.

Ukyo and Shampoo looked as though they were considering means of coming to the

rescue of their mutual Airen when all at once a long green tail snaked out and

wrapped itself around the offending bento. The tongue-like object reeled itself

in and yanked the bento out of Akane's hands, to draw it into the mouth of a

large automated crocodile, which gulped it down then turned an even deeper shade

of green for its troubles.

"Ah, I see that Mister Green Turtle and I are in time to save you from your own

kindness, my darling Ranma-sama," Kodachi declared as she and Nabiki sat astride

the back of the mutated cyborg creature, "Akane-chan has many wonderful and

delightful talents, but clearly she was not born to play the domestic. I, on

the other hand, come prepared to provide sweet Ranma-sama with a properly

balanced nutritious diet of all the healthful things that a large growing boy

like him should require in order to maintain his strength for-how shall I put

this?-the amorous adventures that I expect to reap as the reward for coming to

your salvation."

With a wave of her hand an army of mechanized servants appeared bearing trays

and tables and tablecloths and large pots full of food, which same they laid out

with methodical efficiency and economy of motion. When they were done a

sumptuous banquet was on hand, one that made Ukyo and Shampoo simmer in jealous

wrath while Ranma and Akane just stared in mutual disbelief.

"I...I don't believe it," he murmured faintly, "I'm now in debt to Kodachi?"

"Hey, give me back my lunch!" Akane belatedly protested.

"Surprise, surprise," Nabiki said as she examined the clip-board in her hands

and decked off the list to make sure everything on the menu had been provided as

ordered, "All is in readiness, my demented Mistress, save for one little

detail..." and she pressed a button on a control unit that she removed from the

clip-board, and one of the automated robot servants lifted the cover to one of

the dishes while another used a fan to blow the aroma of it in Ranma's direction.

The effect was almost immediate, his stomach rumbled in complaint that it was

empty of the delicious foodstuffs laid out before him like a King's banquet.

Ranma's mouth began to water and he licked his lips with anticipation, but

before he could act upon his "baser reflexes," his other two girlfriends stepped

forward and presented themselves in opposition to the designs of their pony-tailed rival.

"Hey, back off, you!" Ukyo growled as she his the control stud on her bracelet

that caused her Iron Chef armor to snap into place around her body. She unslung

her titanium-alloy battle spatula-the one with all the really neat inventions

and devices that she had designed into its construction-and stood ready to use

it to swat down a certain rival demented genius.

Shampoo bared her claws and fangs as she took a threatening stance and said,

"Airen eat food provided by Shampoo, not crazy girl! You is no getting near

Airen without fight, yes?"

"If, by that, you mean that I must lower myself to the level of a common ruffian

in order to impress on the both of you that you have no chance of standing in

the way between my true love and Kuno Kodachi, then you misunderstand entirely

my intentions. Ranma-sama is mature enough to decide for himself which one of

our offered cookings is most appealing to his palate, so rather than brawn to

determine my natural superiority, let him decide for himself which meal is most

adequate to satisfying his needs."

"Yes," Nabiki seconded, "And ours is almost totally free from foreign

contaminants...all except for a few-ahem-secret choice ingredients that

really ought not concern you..."

"What, you're sprinkling powdered Kryptonite over his toasties again?" Akane

asked, still miffed about what had happened to her lunch.

"That's...classified information," Kodachi smiled evasively, "In the

meantime...have some of my delicious lunch, Ranma-sama, you know you want it."

"Um...well..." Ranma hesitated.

"Back off, Bluenose Kodachi," Ukyo growled, "Ranchan is eating my lunch, and

unlike with you he knows I use only natural ingredients."

"Er...yes...well..." Ranma nervously glanced to his side at the armored chef.

"Aiyaa," Shampoo protested, "Ranma eat too-too delicious ramen prepared for him

by his Shampoo. Airen know what good for him, he eat Amazon prepared

breakfast."

"Ah...that is..." Ranma glanced sidelong at the purple furred cat-woman.

"Mine!" Kodachi scowled.

"Mine!" Ukyo insisted.

"What about my lunch?" Akane protested.

"Airen eat what Shampoo give...where he go?" the cat-girl Amazon turned and

glanced around, finding the object of their contention was currently missing,

even as a wind mysteriously kicked up in his passing.

"He bugged out again," Nabiki mused, "He scarfed."

"Yeah, and he also took our lunches with him," Ukyo noticed her own empty fingers.

Ranma was already on his way to his class before the bell had rung or his fiancée

brigade could organize a searching party. He regretted being able to only grab

the food offered to him on the run, but staying around to answer which meal he

found the most appealing was hazardous to his future plans for continued

survival. After all, a meal could be obtained at any time, but enduring the

wrath of his comely admirers took a special kind of skill, one that almost

ranked as a superpower in its own right and the one he most valued when it came

to staying one step ahead of the ladies...

Continuum #10034527

Doc Ranma blinked his eyes and glanced around, then studied the faces of his

nearest companions and said, "Anybody else besides me feel like we just missed

something?"

Xian-Pu glanced at the boy she had just met and frowned. It seemed almost as if

she ought to remember something...a conversation she was having with this

girl...who looked something like her, but with dark hair, not purple...and a boy

who did have purple hair but somewhat resembled this Ranma...

She shook it off and decided to pretend it had not happened, even if a sense of

premonition attended those ill defined memories that were even then fading like

dream mist come the morning. He was just some annoying boy who happened to be

smarter than the average, and so what if he did look cute and had some manners

about him that were totally lacking with boys whom she knew in her own village.

He was a friend of Mu-Tsu, which was a definite point against him...and

yet...was that being entirely fair on her part? For some strange reason she

felt vaguely intrigued by this Saotome Ranma, and even given the rather

eccentric nature of his friends and family, she supposed that there were odd

sorts in every culture.

At any rate, she had promised her mother that she would behave herself while

visiting foreign places, and as her great-grandmother had always advised her

when dealing with outlander cultures, it was better to withhold judgement and

wait until they made the first move and committed themselves, much as a chessman

would draw out an opponent by allowing them to make the first mistake. Not that

she viewed this Ranma as an opponent, or even a serious rival, but just the same

she intended to keep her eye on him, if only to satisfy this nagging sense that

there was a great deal more to him than met with mere appearance.

"I dunno, Doc," the brown haired girl named Ukyo replied, "Had this really funny

vision of myself wearing some kind of armor..."

"Yes," said the shorthaired Nabiki, "And an image of me with really sharp teeth

and yellowish skin, if you can believe that."

"Heh, that's what most guys think about lawyers," Akane snorted, drawing a cross

look from her older-middle sister.

"Now Akane, that isn't very nice," the older sister known as Kasumi chided,

"Nabiki may be somewhat materialistic and acquisitive, and she does have a

penchant to play mean pranks on you when it suits her to be cross, and while she

is engaged to a cute French boy who gives new meaning to the words deep tongue..."

"All right, Kasumi, we get the point all ready!" Nabiki snapped, "Don't need to

drag it out..."

"You tell her, Ham," Ukyo teased, which earned another cross look from Nabiki,

this one as much as silently promising, "I'll get you later for that," with Ukyo

smiling back with a "I was counting on that" expression.

"I'm just glad everyone's all right," Ryoga noted.

"Eh?" Mu-Tsu looked at the chemist oddly, "Why do you say that?"

"Um...it's just...well..." Ryoga hesitated, frowning slightly, "It...it seemed

for a moment as if you guys...weren't here...I mean...you were and then you

weren't...um...that doesn't sound right...what I mean to say is..."

The pig in his hands made a soft squealing noise as if to tell its owner to drop

the matter quietly before looking even more like a baka.

"Don't worry, Ryoga," Akane said, "We're all feeling a bit weird at the

minute...but what's so unusual about that?"

"Good point that," Mu-Tsu conceded, adjusting his glasses, "In truth, I was also

feeling a bit...unnerved about something...only I can't quite remember what

right now. Odd."

"So," Ranko spoke up into the ensuing silence that followed that statement,

"All's well that ends well, right?"

"Er...I guess," Ranma glanced at his youngest sister with the oddest sense that

she was up to more than her usual mischief.

Just then his pocket pager went off and he reflexively touched his watch,

saying, "Yeah, Pop?"

"Boy, what are you doing down there?" his father spoke loud enough that those

within immediate earshot could hear his voice, "Launch is in forty-three

minutes. Get up here to the control booth so you can check to see that all

systems are running smoothly. Oh, and when you get here...there's someone I

would like to introduce to you...an old friend of mine and your mothers."

"Old friend?" Ranma frowned, glancing at Xian-Pu, who looked back with equal

incomprehension.

"He probably means your mom," Ranko informed the purple haired Junior Physicist,

"She and Pop go back a long ways, or so I hear tell."

"My mother?" Xian-Pu blinked, "How would you know about that?"

"Oh, lucky guess," Ranko smiled, "You might say I heard it on the grapevine."

"You've got to be joking, Squirt," Ranma ruffled the head of his redheaded

sibling, "Pop wouldn't keep a thing like an old girlfriend a secret from

us...would he?"

"You tell me, Doc," Ranko winked, "But ask him yourself and you know I'm not lying."

Xian-Pu had a very odd sense as she stared at the redheaded girl and asked, "Who

are you...really?"

"Huh?" Ukyo asked, "You kidding? Ranko's our kid-sis, and a real spitfire at that."

"Yeah, ask anybody, I'm nobody special...or so they'll tell you," Ranko leaned

in closer to the Chinese Amazon and said, "So, what do you think about my big

bro? Think he measures up to the legendary boy wonder they call Doc Saotome?"

"I...wouldn't know about any such legends," Xian-Pu hastily turned away even as

Ranma led the others from the room, falling into a formation that seemed both

natural and automatic...and for a moment she had the oddest sense that they had

done this once before...only now she deliberately positioned herself much closer

to the one named Akane. There was something about that short-tempered girl that

drew more curiosity than irritation, as though they might have been friends in a

former life, in which case it would pay to give her closer attention.

Ranko fell into the rear, as always, but her smile only deepened to one of pure

mischief, as though she were the only one present who was privy to a deep and

important secret. Indeed, she was the type of girl who did cause trouble

wherever she wandered, but not the malicious sort who would spoil a good joke by

telling the punchline out of sequence. She had always known one curious trait

that had long worked to her advantage, that when she worked very hard not to be

noticed, seemingly observant people would tend to ignore her or forget that she

was there, a trick that had often come in handy around her brother.

On this occasion the ability to go undetected had proven especially helpful as

she had avoided having her mind be blanked along with the others when that

Farhan character had whisked them off to their home dimension. She remembered

in perfect detail everything that they had experienced, including meeting

someone who looked like an older (and buffer) version of herself and also had

the name of Ranko but who was leading a pack of really cool characters who came

to everyone else's rescue. She remembered about Celestine, the mad god, about

the powers they had encountered, and the various alternate world doubles of her

older brother and adopted sister and half-brother, Ryoga. It was kind of neat

to see alternate duplicates of a Ranma who wasn't such a geeky nerd all of the

time, and some of those alternate Ranma were kind of cool, like the buff, mean

dude in the leather jacket.

In fact, the idea that these other Ranma were involved with girls other than

Akane was the thing that Ranko found the most intriguing. Xian-Pu was kind of

neat, and it was sort-of fun to see Ukyo and Nabiki in contention for her

brother's hand, though the idea of him mixing it up with that Dragon Lady,

Kodachi...that was not quite so cool in Ranko's opinion. Of the various Akane-

clones that they had met only one or two seemed likeable enough to get along

with their Ranmas, though it hardly surprised Ranko in the least that the big

runner up for the youngest Tendo sister's affections turned out to be other

versions of Ryoga, her shy and socially awkward half-brother.

In truth, Ranko had long been of the opinion that the engagement between Saotome

and Tendo houses was a serious mistake if it rested upon a union between Ranma

and Akane. Those two just did not get along, they had very little in common,

and in truth Akane often bridled with not-very-well-suppressed rage at finding

her life constrained by the wishes of her father. Her affections flowed more

naturally towards the more considerate of the two brothers, the one who actually

took the time to get to know her as a person. With Ryoga she seemed to relax a

lot more and was even known to smile a little, something that she rarely did

around Ranma. A union between those two seemed only natural...too bad nobody

else besides her seemed to notice or give the matter serious attention.

As loyal to her big brother as Ranko was, she would be the first to admit that

Ranma was not the smartest guy when it came to relationships or women. His head

was too much in the clouds, always thinking up stuff, and he was usually too

serious for the frivolity that would have made Ukyo a more natural contender for

the slot of fiancée, incest issues notwithstanding. But this Xian-Pu...now

there was something new to consider! The girl was positively gifted with the

ability to get a rise our of Ranma, whether by needling him or intriguing him,

and Ranko silently approved of a possible union between those two...if only the

engagement could be switched from Akane and Ranma to the more promising union of

Akane and Ryoga.

Or, failing that, the even more unlikely match that Ranko had seen growing from

the sidelines of Ukyo and Nabiki. Everyone else knew for a fact that Nabiki

hated her engagement to that foreign guy with the flexible mouth and the

impossibly long tongue (dirty jokes by Kasumi notwithstanding), but her father

owed a debt to the Picardin family and a marriage was the agreed upon price of

debt reconciliation. As wealthy as they were, the Picardins had trouble finding

mates to carry on the family line...and for very good reason since most girls

were turned off at the thought of a guy who could swallow a whole chicken in one

gulp. Instead Nabiki had been growing fond and affectionate towards the girl

she worked close alongside with at Ranma's side, and Ukyo felt the same way

towards her, so was it any wonder that they had started sleeping together when

they thought no one else was looking?

Ranko thought that was pretty cool, but now she knew a secret about the future

that could prove invaluable to making things happen that had always seemed like

a distant "maybe." She would have to wait and watch and bide her time for the

right moment, but with a nudge here and a nod there she might be able to swing

things so that the right people wound up together, but only if she watched for

natural tendencies and made her move at such point where it might tilt the

balance in the right direction.

Possibilities indeed, she smiled, waiting to see what the future might hold, and

already assured that interesting things were to happen, especially if the

outcome produced as intriguing a couple of offspring as Arashi and Kinma, though

only time would tell if that were their destiny or some parallel timeline that

had only just started to be created...either way Ranko knew the ride would be

more than worth the price of admission...

Continuum #00274138

Gaius blinked his eyes and noticed that there was movement between his legs, and

with a start he found himself astride a horse as a part of a larger caravan that

was wending its way through the mountain passes.

"You awake at last, beloved," he heard Xian-Pu say, and turned to see his wife

riding at his side on a dun colored mare, "We were beginning to worry, but glad

we are to see that you are hale and hearty."

"What...transpires here?" Gaius asked, turning around to see other familiar

faces surrounding them, both mounted and on foot.

"How much do you remember, Son?" his father asked, looking pale and haggard but

otherwise the same robust fighter that Gaius had long remembered.

"I...remember the arena...but nothing after that," Gaius replied, then turned

with alarm and asked, "Mother?"

"Resting in the back of the jeep we borrowed for handling the cargo," Genma

replied, "We could afford few vehicles, so we are relying mostly upon some

horses that we...liberated after escaping from the slave pens."

Gaius waited a moment before asking, "What did I forget? That last I recall was

the sight of you crucified..."

"The dragon, beloved," Xian-Pu replied, "You released your dragon and it

did...terrible things. None of us is quite clear about the matter, only that it

seemed this time to do some good along with the evil."

"The Arena's a smoldering heap of rubble," his father clarified, "The governor

and his son are buried there. We awoke to find our wounds healed...mostly..."

his father showed his wrists, which bore frightful pink scars that made even the

battle-hardened Gaius wince, "I cannot say why the dragon chose to spare us this

time, but perhaps it still finds a use for our company."

"Indeed," Gaius replied, "I am amazed that he spared me since I always thought

he hated his imprisonment above all else and would not hesitate to slay me if I

gave him full release. Xian-Pu..."

"Beloved?" his wife asked.

"What..." Gaius paused before continuing, "...is the fate of my other wife, the

lady Agripina?"

"She lives, husband," Xian-Pu did not add, "unfortunately" as she and Akane had

shared words the other day that left bitter feelings in them both, even after

Xian-Pu conceded the other girl the dominant title of "First Wife." Instead

what Xian-Pu said was, "And so do her sisters...including one who-surprisingly

enough-came to our rescue."

Gaius felt something tremble within him as he asked, "The lady Nocturna?"

"So glad that you at last remember me, beloved," came a haughty voice from just

behind him as the lady in question urged her coal-black charger forward,

flashing a trademark at him smile while favoring one arm in a sling, "I feared

that I would be forgotten in all the excitement."

"My lady...you still live?" Gaius felt both elation and dismay at this discovery

as a nightmare image flashed through his mind of Nocturna being gunned down by

her father's Praetorian guards, and of her dying in his arms...and of a...a

goddess hovering over her...

"My physician assures me I will continue to do so, even though he cannot fathom

the reason," Nocturna informed him, "I thought I had died...after I planted that

knife in the back of my own father. I was prepared to die, to make my

restitution before the gods...and yet it seems the gods favored me with another

chance at life...is that not curious?"

Gaius was unable to speak as his mouth hung open, and despite herself Xian-Pu

could not help smiling at this before adding, "The lady and I have made a pact

of sorts...an agreement that will allow her to come with us while we take

shelter in the mountains and prepare to ride out the storm that is surely to

follow. She has proven that she values you more than she does her own safety,

so Agripina and I are...agreeable to making further arrangements, provided we

have your consent in the matter, my Airen."

"A matter I brought to their attention helped to sweeten the pot of honey,"

Nocturna further elaborated, "Since I am now a wanted fugitive, I have better

chances with you than with my own people...but I am still the heir to the House

of Kuno and thus come well endowed with a dowry, especially if a capable man

were to claim me for a wife, in which case he would, by the laws of Rome, be

next in line for the late Governor's title."

"Think about it, Son," his father urged, "You stirred up quite a hornet's nest

back there, but when the riots die down Rome is going to be searching for a

scapegoat. They'll come after us with all their resources...unless we find a

way to politically neutralize their claims and make it difficult for the Emperor

to appoint a new governor in your place."

"And if you arise as the legitimate heir to the province," Xian-Pu added sweetly.

"Especially when nationally televised news industries throughout Japan bore

witness to your divine wrath and glory..." Nocturna gave him a wry look and

added, "Well, imagine the good you might do for our people if you were to arise

as a political force who could make even the Emperor sit up and pay notice?"

"Careful boy," his father said, "You'll catch flies if you continue to ride like that."

Gaius promptly shut his mouth but sat dumbfounded, looking from one woman to the

other and having the strangest sense that his heroic adventures with them both

were only just beginning...

Continuum: #00173684

"Man, what a day," Ranma said as he and Ryoga arrived at his new home in Nerima,

"Can you believe that place or the kind of nuts they call students?"

"I hear you," Ryoga nodded, "I thought that Kuno Tatewaki was a character, but

some of the teachers seem almost as messed up. By the way, what did that one

girl want with you around lunchtime?"

"I don't know," Ranma shrugged, "Girls don't usually come up to me out of the

blue like that and ask to share lunch with me. It was...weird but kind of nice."

Ryoga favored his best friend with a smile and gave him a light punch on the arm

before he said, "Don't tell me you're finally gone and gotten yourself a

girlfriend? Way to go, Ranma-kun."

"Hey, cut it out," Ranma hastily rubbed the offended arm, checking to make sure

it was not dislocated, "Besides, what are you talking about? I saw the way you

were looking at that sister of hers, the one with the temper?"

"What...ah...Akane?" Ryoga suddenly became quite animated and nervous, glancing

away as he said, "I...I don't know what you mean..."

"Yeah, sure you don't," Ranma chuckled, knowing that Ryoga was usually a magnet

for feminine attention, but hardly had the wits to know what to do about it.

Instead he turned around and called out, "Mom, Dad, I'm home, and I brought

Ryoga with me!"

"Ryoga?" Nodoka poked her head out from the kitchen and beamed, "Why, now nice!

We haven't seen you around for ages."

"Hello, Mrs. Saotome," Ryoga bowed, "I just kind of bumped into Ranma and...well..."

"I offered to let the baka stay here for the night, if that's all right with you

and dad," Ranma asked, "You know how hard it is for him to find his way home on

his own, and since it's getting kind of late..."

"Yes, it certainly is," his father spoke up as he appeared from the living room,

"And you are late getting home. Did you forget that we have a meeting planned

between our family and a very dear old friend of mine?"

"Ooops, sorry about that, Pop," Ranma winced, "Kind of slipped my mind..."

"Well, never mind that now," Genma replied, "Go up to your room and change into

some decent clothes, then be ready to go in no less than twenty minutes."

"But...Pop...what about Ryoga?" Ranma asked.

"He can come along too," Genma gave the other boy a cursory lookover, noticing

the care-worn travel clothes that Ryoga always seemed to be wearing, "But just

don't make any trouble for us, young man. I want for us to make a good

impression on my old friend, Soun. It's a matter of unfinished family

business...a bothersome promise I rather foolishly made during a drinking binge

in my youth, which I later regretted. I'm sure Soun is an agreeable enough sort

that he'll be willing to let bygones be bygones without holding me to a

foolishly held promise..."

"Promise?" Ranma blinked, "What promise, Pop?"

"Never you mind, dear," Nodoka pleasantly motioned him to the stairs, "Just get

dressed and then we'll go and visit with the Tendos, and that should put to rest

the matter."

"Um...okay," Ranma started to head off, only to freeze in his tracks and turn

around with a stunned expression, "Did you say...the Tendos?"

"Didn't we mention the name before?" his father asked, "Tendo Soun has three

lovely daughters, one of whom is probably about your age, but that really

shouldn't concern you, Son. The point is that we are leaving for their home

just as soon as you make yourself ready."

Ranma paused to exchange looks with Ryoga, and all at once both boys had the

curious sense that something very strange was about to happen, and that life

would never be the same for either of them again in the beautiful town of Nerima...

Starship Silverwand in the Starstream Gap between Worlds:

"And so you see? All's well that ends well, or so that old rascal friend of

yours used to say, the playwright...what was his name again? I seem almost to

remember..."

I give Farhan a wry glare, not the least bit taken in this time by his pretense

of senility. He might be the ultimate eccentric at times, but with the kind of

load he handles I can't say I find that in the least bit surprising.

"I just can't get over the fact that those guys are all supposed to be me in

those worlds," Saotome shakes his head in dismay, "Talk about paths not

traveled..."

"Why, Ranma-kun, that almost sounded poetic," his lady wife smiles back at him

as she stands within the embrace of his arms upon the deck of Farhan's ship as

we sail between the various worlds on cosmic winds surrounded by the softly

moaning lamented ballads of the S'lvie who crew it, "What would Ryoga-kun think

if he could hear you talk like that?"

"Probably that I'm going soft and need a good thumping," Ranma sniffed, "He

always did know what it takes to clear the cobwebs up for me. So...what do you

think about all those Nabikis? Kind of an interesting contrast, huh?"

"I suppose so," Nabiki smiles and pretends to be indifferent, "Unlike you I've

rarely indulged in such narcissistic past-times as wondering what my life would

be like on other worlds at different times and places. Frankly the idea that on

two of those worlds I wind up as the sex-slave to Kodachi is a

bit...disconcerting...while the Mage version of me has genuine potential. I'm

not too sure about the version of me who's an Engineer and obviously quite

smitten with Kuonji, while the Samurai girl...I think I'd much rather live in

the modern age of indoor plumbing than to be stuck in a Kunoesque nightmare."

"What about the Goblin you?" the big guy teases, "I thought the pointed teeth

were a nice touch, really brings the inner you out into the open..."

I see her make a face at that before favoring him with a patented, "You're going

to owe me for that one, Bub," look that doesn't seem to in the least way upset Saotome.

I feel Garimel leaning against me and hear my own wife say, "A fascinating lady.

I can see now why you're so taken with her, Chakar. She might indeed make an

interesting houseguest..."

I feel more than slightly disturbed at the line of reasoning Gari's trying to

initiate so I hastily change the subject, "More than one way to land a mate,

huh? So, what do you think about those other Ranmas, Saotome-san?"

Nabiki knows I mean her and not her husband so she smiles and says, "Interesting

men. I rather wish I'd met some of them while I was still single..."

"Hey!" her real husband immediately protests.

"Take the superhero version for example," she continues smoothly, "Strong, fast,

nearly invulnerable...I rather imagine he'd have to have a lot of stamina if

he's going to wind up with four or five wives in the future. The nerdy

version...I'm not really too sure about him...a bit too up in the clouds, if you

know what I mean. The gladiator Ranma-kun certainly has a lot of...robustness

to his manly pecs, but that dragon thing within him...I don't know if I could

get used to that. It seems that taming the beast within my Ranma-kun is

exertion enough to last several lifetimes."

"Y'know, I honestly don't know how to take that," Saotome confesses.

"The normal you is...sweet," Nabiki resumes as though not interrupted, "He's

obviously very shy and naive and quite vulnerable to the right sort of

influence...perfect material to work with and a lot better house trained than

the Ranma-kun I knew..." she pauses to notice the way her husband is smoldering

on that point, smiles at him and then continues, "The Ronin...well...he

certainly has a lot on the ball and isn't the type you could fool or manipulate

easily, so I wish my counterpart there all the fun of such a challenge. To be

completely honest, hairy feet are just not my thing, so the hobbit Ranma is out,

which leaves us with the Mage, and isn't he a fine pierce of work? Like Ranma-

kun only more together and assertive if a bit stuck up and..."

"Fed up with being used and manipulated by everyone around him?" Saotome

finishes for her, "Yeah, I can feel for what he's going through, but...I'm not

too sure I could have made the same decisions."

"At least in his world people didn't wind up dying tragically," I point out,

"Surely you'd like to change that part of your resume, Saotome?"

"I guess," he sighs, "But...yeah...I suppose if I had told everyone to take a

hike rather than let myself get pushed into marrying Akane a lot of things might

have turned out better. Can't see flipping off Ukyo or Shampoo like that,

though, and what that Nabiki pulled on him with help from the old ghoul..."

"You have mixed feelings upon this, do you now?" Garimel speaks up, "On the one

hand you are satisfied that Amazon honor was appeased and that some part of you

lives on to give your Shampoo the love and a purpose to live for which she so

desperately needed. On the other hand you feel tricked and manipulated into

doing something that was not with your consent and was, in fact, expressly

contrary to your stated wishes in the matter, for which you would hold the

Nabiki of that world accountable, yes?"

"Uh...yeah, that's about it in a nutshell," Saotome looked warily at my lady

wife, and for that I don't blame him a bit since he can still recall the wild

look that had been there while she was under her Geas. Gari's a bit hard to

take in one solid dose, and seeing what she can turn into would have discouraged

even hardier souls than me if it weren't for the fact that I'm very much in love

with my lady and have been since the first moment we crossed swords together.

Garimel turns her charm upon Nabiki and says, "In all these alternate lives you

can see some partial reflection of an aspect of your true nature, yet the you

that I see before me is not merely some composite image but a thriving aspect

unto herself. Never question if you have made the right choices for your life,

for they have resulted in the you that is the here and now, a unique individual

like no other Nabiki before or after."

"Sweet of you to say that, Grey-san," Nabiki smiles back at my wife, and for a

moment I can sense a spark of something passing between them, which makes me

feel all that more uneasy.

"Please, call me Garimel," my lady love responds, "And would it be all right

with you if I called you Nabiki?"

"Ah..." I see a reflection of my own nervousness in Saotome's eyes as he, too,

worries a bit about the sudden mutual appreciation that's just been sparked

between our respective better halves.

That's when the redhead, Ranko, speaks up and says, "What about the guys I

helped recruit with Meiko-chan? Are they gonna be all right?"

The eleven year old girl sitting in the redhead's lap perks up, having been

understandably round-eyed the whole time that she's been riding with us on

Farhan's starship, looking quite enchanted with the music of the S'lvie.

"Well now," Farhan smiles, "Why don't we have a look on that and find out?"

With a nod he causes another image to appear in the space above the main deck,

and as we turn to look we see the girl on the motorcycle, Valda Saotome, poised

on her machine overlooking a cliff-heights gazing down on beautiful downtown Nerima...

Continuum #535854018

It was another beautiful morning in the bright and cozy Tokyo prefecture that

incorporated Nerima. Valda gazed down at her home town and speculated on all

the possible alternate realities that centered around this curious nexus of

improbabilities, marveling that she could have been so blind to at least some of

those alternative histories that might have flowed through her life but for a

few specific stray strands in the tapestry of life that was woven around her father.

Imagine her surprise upon meeting an entirely different version of her mother

who was both sweet and innocent and rather a bit on the naive side, not at all

like the Belldandy who had given her birth, the sexual wanton who had enticed

and seduced her father then won his love through self-sacrifice and hardship.

The mother she knew (at least according to her aunts) had been both innocent and

naive at one time, but then a stray call got her diverted into the fascinating

world of Cyberporn, and nothing had ever been the same with her again, or so

said her straight-laced, older Aunt Urd, who knew Belldandy as well as any other.

According to Urd, her mother had practiced a diligent and careful study of the

subject of human sexuality and perversion as a direct result of her compulsive

nature to focus always on the present to the exclusion of both past and future.

Her mother, wide-eyed and unknowing at first, soon discovered her own yearnings

in the sea of sensually erotic imagery that she endlessly surfed through, and by

the end of her quest she was totally hooked on the concept of exploring

everything from Bestiality to Incest, from Fisting to giving rim jobs, and she

plunged into an orgy of private fetishes, some too gross even for Urd to

remember, but always with the desire for excellence that was the hallmark of

Belldandy. It became something of a scandal up in heaven, the Goddess who had

"fallen" into sin and self-degradation, and it might have permanently hurt her

career with the Goddess Relief office had it not been for the fateful call from

Valda's father, who had inadvertently gotten himself a very "wrong" number.

Ranma Saotome, technophobe, sexual naïf, had attempted to place an order an

order for Ramen with one of his favorite Chinese delivery restaurants, but

instead got visited by a Belldandy who was MORE than eager to service him in

other capacities. To hear second-hand accounts of that encounter, it was

Belldandy who courted and her father who went into a panic, but in the end, when

presented with the chance to wish away his curse, he was forced at length to

explain the nature of his Jusenkyo state to Belldandy, who immediately

sympathized with his condition, giving him a taste of the warm and kind-hearted

person she was (when not flashing a bull-whip and indulging her passion for

leather), to which her father-prone as he was to speak without thinking-

immediately wished in gratitude that he had a fiancée just like Belldandy, who

could understand and care for him and not blame him for everything, a wish that

was (fortunately for Valda) conditionally granted.

Conditional as the Heavens set down a demand that for Ranma to have his problem

solved he would have to "take care of" Heaven's little **problem** with

Belldandy. Obviously some optimist upstairs thought possibly that Ranma's

general cluelessness and amiable good nature might be the restorative tonic that

was needed to cure Belldandy of her own rather scandalous obsessions. The

experiment was tried...and did not exactly turn out the way anyone in the Home

Office surely would have planned it...but the rest, as her aunt Urd would say,

was history as Mythology, and it resulted in the life that Valda knew now as her own.

Until now, however, Valda had rationalized that things were the way they were

because that was the way that they were meant to happen, that there had really

been no alternative to the way everything had turned out, that it was Fate

(irony in that) which guided her mother and her father towards each other, with

the resultant bedlam and insanity which must surely have followed, and the fate

of the world itself often hanging in the balance. But what if things had been

different to begin with? What if her mother had never discovered the meaning of

an orgasm? What if her father had married one of those mortal girls who used to

chase him around and treat him so badly? Or what if her Aunt Skuld had not

given up her "Peter Pan" phase (as she liked to put it) and traded in her love

for ice cream with her own personal obsession as a punk rocker? Would she have

taken up the sledgehammer and the guitar or gone on the road to perform a stage

act that often caused riots?

And what if aunt Urd had never had that failed romance with Loki? Would she

still have wound up with Tamiya or gone out instead with cousin Mara?

Possibilities, so many possibilities that a young goddess could hardly begin to

count them all...and all the more intriguing when she thought about her other-

world cousin, Maya, who might have been part demoness but was in many ways

quite...intriguing...

"Oh well," Valda shrugged, "No sense going nuts worrying about that stuff. Time

to head on home, girl, and hope that Dad did the cooking this time. No telling

what exotic dish mom might try if he lets his guard down."

She started up her motorcycle once again and sped off down the road for the

Temple that was both home and martial arts dojo. She wished that she could

afford to tell her parents about all of the exciting things she had done that

day, the people she had met, and that weird alternate version of her mother's

old teacher who went nuts and tried to destroy everything. So many stories she

could tell if she had the time, but who would believe her? She was only a

junior grade Goddess in training after all, and part Mortal at that, which made

her exotic enough to raise a few eyebrows with her friends in school. No

telling how they might react if she told them about their own alternate selves

and the ways their parents had gotten together with her father on worlds so

strange that they made her own life seem ALMOST...ordinary...

Continuum: #71180134

Tsuyoma blinked his eyes then glanced at his two sisters, glanced around at

their surroundings then said, "Um...looks like we're back...but...where exactly

are we?"

"I think we're on the mountain side approaching the fortress," Salon replied,

"Which is where we were before we managed to penetrate their defenses."

"But...what about the base?" Sometra asked, "Do we have to go through all of

that trouble all over again or...?"

As if in response to her question the ground under their feet shook violently

and a low rumble could be heard as a dull thump beneath their feet. For a

moment they fought for balance as though riding with an earthquake, but then it

subsided once again, leaving the trio to wonder what just happened.

Then Salon pointed up to one side of the mountain and said, "Look!"

Tsuyoma shielded his eyes and stared at the plume of smoke jetting from just off

to their right and well above their position then said, "Looks like it's coming

out of a hidden vent, but what do you suppose it means?"

"That we've returned just a few seconds before we left?" Sometra suggested.

"But...how did we do that?" Salon asked, "And what happened to those other guys we met?"

"I don't really know," Tsuyoma lowered his hand, "But I think we owe someone a

favor for getting us away from that mess."

"And the Geomancers?" Sometra asked.

"Gone, I hope, and good riddance," Tsuyoma replied, "Either buried or bonded to

those two named Meiko and Yui...I think."

"If so, then it's their problem, and they're more than welcome to them," Salon

noted, "Which means our mission is accomplished and we can go home to report that to dad."

"But what about cousin Taramaki and uncle Mendou?" Tsuyoma turned to glance at

the dark haired Sometra.

She sighed, "I suppose that we will have to report that one to mother, and no

doubt she will mourn their passing...but not too deeply."

"Then the Empire's safe for another day and we can chalk it up to clean living,"

Salon shrugged, "The only problem I see is...how do we explain about that weird

other dimensional stuff and all those different versions of Dad we ran into?"

"So who says we include that in our report?" Sometra countered, "And even if we

do, you think father won't understand? After all, he and our mothers all but

pioneered the art of dimensional Sliding."

"A point well taken," Tsuyoma noted, "But...I don't really know about all that.

Some of those other versions were highly unusual, and some universes seemed even

weirder than the others..."

Continuum: #3742196

"...And so we beat up the bad guys and I got to try the Gigaslave on an Elder

God and everything turned out pretty much all right in the end, Dad,"

Honeysuckle shrugged, "Wasn't anything that Lina or Nagha couldn't do. Heck,

even Xellos could have handled that Celestine creep..."

"Are you sure about that?" her father asked her, "An Elder God...and a mad god

in one day? Talk about your overachievement..."

"Yeah, and look who's talking, Airen," one of his wives remarked with a wry

glance towards the husband whom she shared with the other women, then back to

her eldest daughter and said, "Your father and I are very proud of you, Dear,

and I'm sure the same holds true for Mara and Leona's parents."

"Huh," Lina sulked, "So she borrowed one of my spells and killed a god, big deal."

"You're just sulking because we didn't get to have any fun on her adventures," Nagha confided.

"Maybe you should both consider counting your blessings?" Xellos asked his sisters.

"But what about Leona?" Gowry asked, "Why isn't she here where the three of you started out?"

"Oh...well," Honeysuckle replied, "She's kind of with her parents. She brought

something home and...well...I gotta feeling her dad's gonna be...kinda beside

himself, if you know what I mean..."

Mu-Tsu had known a good many changes in his life, not least of which the

improvement of his eyesight, getting a good, respectable job and a couple of

wives whose very nature defied easy analysis. His expanding family, too, was

another big change that had come with time and maturity...but some of his

offspring (or rather, certain ones in particular) could really make him long for

the old days when all he had to worry about was a one-sided obsession with a

girl from his home village.

His wives, on the other hand, were beside themselves with parental joy and pride

for Leona's accomplishment and were busy giving a full inspection to the latest

addition to the family arsenal, even as their daughter was busy polishing the

armor of her brand new Type-74 (Special Edition with features that would REALLY

astonish the original manufacturers!).

"Oh look!" Unipuma gushed, "It's got a hydropneumatic suspension, 105 mm main

gun, 7.62 mm coax machinegun, 12.7 mm anti-aircraft machinegun, two three-barrel

smoke grenade launchers..."

"Fifty-five main gun round capacity," Anapuma counted off as she checked the

magazine, "4500 rounds of 7.62 amunition, six hundred and sixty 12.7's...minus

rounds that have already been fired..."

"Wow, there were about eight hundred and seventy of these things ever

built between '75-90," Unipuma marveled, "Crew of four..."

"And a rear-mounted Mitzubishi 10-ZF type 22 WT ten cylinder air-cooled diesel

engine developing seven hundred and twenty horse power at 2200 RPM," Anapuma

noted with glee, "This baby can do 60 KPH on the road. It's got a maximum range

of 400 clicks, fuel capacity of nine-hundred-and-fifty liters, with preparation

it can ford up to two meters and climb a one meter vertical obstacle, cross a

two-point-seven meter trench and climb up a sixty degree hill! It's fitted with

NBC protection and night vision equipment, and it's got steel armor over six

inches think...mediocre by today's standards, but quite impressive for its time."

"Not to mention it's got a power-to-weight ratio of 18.94 horsepower-per-ton,"

Unipuma grinned, "And fully loaded it weighs in at a snug 38,000 kilograms.

Nice little buggy you picked up there, Leona-chan."

"Glad you like it, Moms," Leona smiled as she studied the surface of her new

prize to make sure it did not have an excessive number of scratches, "I'm naming

it Bonaparte, just like that old jalopy you talked about in those stories you

used to tell me around bedtime."

"Bonaparte?" her father asked, "But...it's a tank!"

"Good eyesight there, Honey-buns," Unipuma grinned.

"What the heck do you think we've been describing for the last two minutes?"

Anapuma gave him a quizzical expression, twitching her ears in amused annoyance.

"Hey, don't worry, Dad," Leona tried to reassure him, "I'll take good care of

him and see to it he's stored away in a safe place so no one will get any silly

ideas about taking him away or anything, and he won't upset the neighbors,

honest! I'll have to do a Net-search to see if I can obtain the right sorts of

ammunition to replace what I had to fire off, but I'll be sure to look for good

bargains and I'll try not to fire any of it off within city limits."

Her brothers and sisters, meanwhile, were of slightly different opinions, Buako

being somewhat stunned at the sight of a tank in their back yard, while

Greenpeace was even more subdued than usual, but as for their younger siblings...

"Mom!" little Al complained, "If Leona gets a tank, does that mean when I grow

up that I get to fly a jet airplane...?"

Continuum #52211475

"...And so, Commander, we reconnoitered the area and determined that hostilities

were effectively concluded, and then returned home to base, as per our instructions."

"I see," Misato eyed the young pilots before her, looking from Meiko to Yui

before asking the quieter of the two Hibiki twins, "And do you concur with the

lieutenant's assessment?"

"More or less, Commander," Yui replied, "We were returned with

our...acquisitions in tow with only partial memory of how we won the struggle

against the renegade demiurge named Celestine. That the battle was successfully

concluded was obvious enough, but why we were permitted to keep these new form

of Mecha is not so easily determined."

"Hmmm," Misato turned to her scientist friend and asked, "Analysis?"

"I have to admit," Ritsuko replied, "I find this report...more disturbing for

what it reveals than what it might withhold, Commander...and as for the Mecha

themselves...well..." she eyed the twin Geomancers, which were now sitting

outside of the complex known as Tokyo-3 looking as ominously disturbing as a

pair of Nifflem Angels.

"Yes," Misato mused as she stared up at the twin pair of seven-story tall

objects, "What are we going to do about those anyway? Are you sure you both

have total control over these new systems?"

"Absolutely," Reiko assured, "Mine obeys me like it was my own good left arm."

"The response of the control systems is quite remarkable, Commander," Yui

affirmed, "We seem to have become totally integrated into their systems and can

even make them perform tasks by thought alone even when we are not in the control cabins."

And to illustrate her point she raised her arm, and one of the armored titans

did likewise. In spite of her long experience dealing with Evas and Angels,

Misato could not quite repress a certain shudder, wondering if these new type

Mecha might prove ever bit as much of a two-edged sword as had been the

prototype systems originally operated by a certain notorious trio of pilots.

"Just looking at the things makes me uneasy," Ryoga-one of those pilots-

noted soberly as he stared at his daughter's new possessions.

"I hear you," Misato agreed, "But still and all...I think we should run some

tests to determine just what sort of alien technology we may be dealing with

here. You two will agree to having your toys be looked at?"

"Hey, no problem with us, right Yui?" Reiko asked.

"Indubitably," Yui replied, "That would be standard procedure."

"Fine," Misato said, unable to help feeling a certain trepidation just standing

in the shadow of the things, reminded all too much of what it sometimes seemed

like while standing this close to an Eva, "Then I'm leaving you two in charge of

these new toys of yours until further notice. Have them checked out and then

report back to me no later than 1800, you got that?"

"Yes, Ma'am," both Yui and Reiko said together.

"Hmmm," Ritsuko frowned as she studied the Geomancers, once more drawing

Misato's attention.

"I hate it when you make that sound," the purple haired commander eyed the

blonde doctor, "It always means trouble. What is it you're hmmm-ing about this

time, Ri-chan?"

"I was just thinking," Ritsuko said distantly as she continued to study the

colossi, "Something about these things reminds me of an old file I read back

when we were establishing the current Federation of Free States under the aegis

of the UN...it came under a file I researched on secret underworld societies,

something labeled as 'Project Zeorymer...'"

"Zeorymer?" Misato reacted, "But...that's impossible! That project was

destroyed, the group that engineered it's long been disbanded..."

"On our timeline, maybe," Ritsuko revealed, "But somewhere else where the

conspiracy behind the Zeorymer project might have actually have tried to carry

out their plans of worldwide conquest..."

"Um, excuse me," Ryoga spoke up, "But I'm not sure I'm familiar with this.

What's a Zeorymer?"

"Something that's ten times worse than any Angel you ever fought, Ryoga-kun,"

Ritsuko revealed, "According to the files I studied early on, they had the

ability to absorb and utilize the natural ambient electromagnetic energy field

of the planet itself. They needed human pilots to operate, but a single

Zeorymer could generate a force equal to a hundred AT fields, and with that

amount of power at your disposal you could easily lay waste to a good sized

continent. It would be like Second Impact all over."

"Your father was naturally curious about the sort of power supply that they were

able to use," Misato further noted, "But it was found to be incompatible with

the Evangelion system and so was later abandoned. The files were kept

classified, one of many secrets that Gendo took with him when he...left us."

"Of course, the frightening thing isn't just that someone obviously succeeded in

creating another Zeorymer," Ritsuko resumed, "It's that somebody with obviously

a lot of raw power and a connection to the higher planes decided to let us have

them, which implies to me that there may be a reason...such as some future need

to which they will be put to use."

"Against the Jovians?" Misato arched a dark purple eyebrow at this.

"I doubt that it was anything that simple," Ritsuko replied, "You don't hunt

fleas with an elephant rifle, and as annoying as the Jovians might be, we've

been handling them on our own terms with great success of late. No...I'm afraid

that this could only imply a whole new threat level well beyond that which we

faced with the Angels."

"But...Doc," Reiko spoke up, "What could possibly be worse than an Angel?"

"Do you really want to know?" Yui asked of her sister, "And, at any rate, we

will doubtlessly learn the answer to that sooner or later."

"Oh lovely," Misato Saotome sighed, staring up at the silent behemoths

confronting her like guardians of an unfathomable order, "There are days like

this when I really love this job...as in not..."

"Of course I left them those Mechs for a reason," Farhan smiles, "Wouldn't be

much fun if they weren't going to see any usage."

"You like playing the cosmic deal maker?" Saotome asks.

"When it suits my needs," Farhan replies, "After all, I'm a merchant, and I'm a

firm believer in the Law of Exchanges. Can't get something for nothing without

going through the appropriate channels..."

"How can you get such clear images of all these different places?" the little

girl named Meiko wonders, "Do you have cameras planted in all these different

dimensions?"

"In a manner of speaking, I can reach everywhere and everywhen whenever it suits

me, young Saotome," Farhan winks at her, "And believe me, my system's infinitely

superior to either satellite or cable."

"That must make for interesting information gathering," Nabiki muses, "You could

find out anything that you need to know about anyone with only a thought.

Privacy, around you, would effectively not even be an issue."

"Perhaps," Farhan shrugs, "But, to be honest, I'm not really that much of a

voyeur, and after thousands of years of watching human beings go through their

daily struggles it all begins to take on a certain sameness, so I only tune in

to those times and events that actually have something really interesting going

on, such as timelines where there are heroes. Your types are rare and exotic

enough that I can never really get too bored, and even when you stumble along

the way it is the persistence that you demonstrate which ultimately makes for

compelling viewing."

"A billion channels to watch and nothing on except guys like me, huh?" Ranma

sniffs, "Guess maybe I ought to take that as a compliment or something, but I

kind of wonder...why don't you give stiffs like us a break once in a while, or

do you like to see us suffer?"

"Hardly," Farhan replies, "I'm not sadist, I just happen to be old enough to

know that your sacrifices and hardships go to serve a greater purpose. Life

isn't about attaining perfect happiness and contentment, it's about intelligence

struggling to gain self-awareness and fulfillment. Think of all the countless

trillions of beings who populate not just Earth but an infinity of other worlds

in countless parallel dimensions. They multiply our struggles to an infinite

degree, and always it is with the long-term purpose of evolution through

selective processes-both natural and artificial-by which term the cosmos

blindly gropes its way along from primordial slime to near godlike perfection."

"You mean...the meaning of life is more than just forty-two?" Ranko quips, and

I'm finding that I more and more like this kid's sense of humor, to say nothing

for her resilience. She's definitely got the instincts of a first-rate survivor.

"Of course," Farhan smiles at her, "As in so many cases, the answer is the

question and the question contains its own answer. What is the meaning of life?

To live. Why do we live? To grow, to accumulate experience and wisdom, and

then to pass on into a different state where we share what we have gained with

the greater cosmos. Life is a series of events through which we define our

reality and give definition to existence. Why do you suppose it is that so many

die with dreams and potential unfulfilled? Is it because the Cosmos is

inherently wasteful and callous to human resources? Of course it is...but

still, no life lacks purpose or meaning. Even a zygote that dies a short time

after gestation has a purpose and a potential that might flower in one world or

be miscarried on another. A child born of the seemingly random combination of

genetic factors grows to become an individual named Saotome Ranko, while on a

different timeline the egg that formed you fails to be impregnated by the sperm

of your father and a different seed takes your place a few months later, grows

up to be a different child of your otherwise identical parents. It all factors

into a quite complex equation about life that I could bore you with for hours,

if I thought you would understand my calculations. Your adopted mother would,

quite possibly, but she is already gifted enough with enough knowledge of how

the system operates that I should hardly wish to give her such a loaded gun to

play around with in the future."

"Assuming that a future exists where I might wish to make use of such

knowledge," Nabiki naturally points out, earning a non-plussed glance from her husband.

"Farhan, dear Farhan," my own wife chuckles, "I always thought you were the sly

one, but it seems that you've been keeping even more secrets from the rest of us

than we had dared to imagine."

"And for very good reason, Lady Shalestar," Farhan informs us, "Think of what

the Dominant Houses might do if they had my knowledge. As it stands they are

not quite so certain of the role that intelligence plays in human spiritual

development and so respect some limits, but if they were to play at being true

Gods with the knowledge at my disposal...I shudder to think what mischief they might render."

"Absolute power corrupts absolutely, huh?" Ranko asks.

"Nonsense," Farhan dismisses, "Having power doesn't corrupt you...at least I

don't think it's corrupted me much, and I ought to know about a thing like that,

shouldn't I? No, power magnifies the corruption that is already inside you, so

if you're the type of person who thinks that power alone can resolve your

unsettled issues, then you are definitely not the sort who ought to wield any

power in the first place. Every being in the Multiverse has access to more

power than they know, but very few of them awaken to their own potential. It

takes wisdom and experience to understand the true limits that power imposes

upon your actions. Merely having the ability to make vast and sweeping changes

in the world of mortals does not obligate one to demonstrate this power in order

to make a paradise, and such a thing would not only constitute a gross violation

of cosmic law, it would horribly unbalance the entire life equation."

"So...paradise isn't necessarily a good thing?" Meiko wonders.

"Good child," Farhan favors her with a smile of approval, "If life were a

paradise then what would be the point to living? If you never had to work or

toil and everything was provided for you then you'd be a pretty useless sort of

person living in the ultimate Welfare State. Working and struggling through

life can give you the satisfaction of discovery and accomplishment. Oh, yes, I

know it sounds cruel that you may have to get up early in the morning and force

yourself to attend a school where boring studies must be overcome and good

grades earned so that you could one day graduate and get a job somewhere in the

service sector of the economy. It's not like I couldn't invent a more

satisfying way to live, it's just that the Multiverse decides that certain

conditions of growth must be observed in order to earn a rung further up along

the spiritual ladder."

"No pain, no gain," I say, "So, that's why you like playing the cosmic sailor

game when you could just will your cargo from one point to another in a nano-second?"

"What would be the point in doing things the easy way?" Farhan asks me,

"Besides, you know as well as I do, Chakar, that it isn't the destination which

matters, it's the journey itself were all the fun awaits us. The trick is in

living from one moment to the next to the best of our abilities, and to enjoy

each precious second that we are allowed this gift called life. I know that

does seem terribly callous and indifferent to the sufferings of those who are

not born into a good life cycle and must suffer a bum incarnation that can be

quite brutal and nasty..."

"But that's the way of Karma, is it not?" Nabiki asks, "If you suffer privation

in one life you may earn the spiritual points to be born a prince in the next world."

"Still sounds like a lot of hell to go through for just a bit of heaven,"

Saotome points out, "And was it really necessary for my Akane to go nuts like

that and kill Ucchan? Pardon me for saying so, guy, but if that's your idea of karmic debt..."

"My dear boy," Farhan says soberly, "Do you honestly think that I'm unaware of

the inherent injustices built into the system? I know that it can be brutally

unfair to see bad things happen to people who clearly do not deserve to suffer,

but that is the consequence of choices which you make every day that you are

alive. And it's not just your choices which affect the outcome after all...the

people around you have free will and make their own choices...regardless of the

consequences. Perhaps it is not always so clear what the wrong and the right of

a decision might be, but that his how you gain wisdom after all, by learning

from your mistakes and changing your thinking to avoid future such wrong

decisions. Nothing is worse to the reasoning mind than complacency and

indifference...it is blatant surrender to the forces that surround you, much as

when you allowed others to decide which fiancée you were to marry. Given a

conscious choice on the matter again, knowing what you do now, would you truly

behave the same all over?"

"No," Saotome says decisively, "I learned from the mistake that Pop always made

when he didn't learn from his own blunders. I know if he could do it all over

again he'd still mess my life up just the way he had the first time around, the

worthless old baka."

"Well, there you have it," Farhan smiles, "Wisdom. And if you multiply that to

an infinite degree then you have the Cosmos itself blindly stumbling along for

self-enlightenment, and when everyone does eventually achieve complete self-

awareness and self-actualization...then the Multiverse truly will be a paradise,

one that was earned, not given you on a silver platter."

"Any neat tips you can give us to help us figure out how to do that?" Ranko asks.

"None that you could use," Farhan replies, "But why listen to an old coot like

me? Go out and write your own life's adventures, find your own answers, then

maybe pass along what you've learned to your own children's children. There's

too much nostalgia about the good times that never were for us old timers, as

though by simply being old we're somehow all gifted with the wisdom of the ages,

rather than just a bit more experienced than you...which reminds me. You still

have to resolve a few issues with those two Pokegirls you've hitched your wagons

to. Better take care of that before too long, after all, they've got parents

who might miss them if you don't let them know about your Taming."

"Uh...right," Ranko winces, glancing at the ball that she's been holding in one

hand while holding onto her kid sister, "Guess we could stop off and check it

out with their home plane, right Mom?"

"Very well," Nabiki says with a motherly tone in her voice, "But your father and

I are going to have some words with our counterparts to see just what this

Taming business is all about, and only then will we decide whether or not to

give our express approval."

"Right," Saotome grunts, "Gotta see just what kind of a double I got over there,

thinks he can run a whole ranch full of hellcats like your mother-OW! What did

you do that for?"

"General principles," his lady wife smiles after giving him a good elbow

reminder of which one of the two of them is the real boss in the family.

"Well then," Farhan says as he glances off to one side, "Looks like this is your

stop then. Glad to give you a lift and all that, hope to see you around, and

probably will run into you a time or two in the future. It's that kind of Multiverse."

"Yeah...um...just one question," Saotome says, "About that gate

thing...Ashkelon, whatever it was. What's the real purpose for a thing like

that? Is it really supposed to keep the worlds apart?"

"Goodness no," Farhan assures us, "Celestine may have interpreted it that way,

but the gates are only meant to regulate the traffic between different worlds,

not prevent their joining altogether. If two souls from different worlds stand

at the threshold and pass through together, in accordance to the protocols, they

are evaluated and tested to see if they have the stuff it takes to stand as one

together. The idea of them being separated for all time is just a program

fluke, one that's now been corrected. Actually, if two incompatible souls step

through together they will wind up in alternate worlds, but it's not a permanent

separation...at least not if they're meant to join together."

"I see," Nabiki says, "That's very...interesting. Well then, shall we be off?"

Garimel speaks up just then and says, "Farewell to you and your loved ones, Lady

Saotome. Perhaps we shall meet again sometime under more...favorable circumstances?"

I see Nabiki smile back at my wife in that knowing, sardonic manner that causes

me to feel a bit uneasy, "Perhaps we may at that. It's certainly a big enough

Cosmos to allow for all possibilities to mutually coexist."

I see Saotome share my expression of concern, and then he looks at me as if to

silently ask, 'Should we start running now?' to which I only shake my head as

though to reply, 'No way, we missed our chance five minutes ago, Bub.'

Besides, my Garimel can track a mote of sand through a sandstorm on Mars, so

what chance would even I have to escape from her when she's feeling

this...playful? I watch as the Saotomes gather together and walk off into space

as Farhan clears the way before them, and then they're gone...to whatever

destiny next awaits them.

"Such a nice family," Farhan muses, "I'll be looking on to see what becomes of

them in the very near future."

"Then it is time for us to leave as well," Garimel notes, "We thank you again

for your hospitality, Farhan, and for allowing us to partake in such a grand adventure."

"Always a pleasure to have you aboard, Garimel Shalestar," Farhan nods back,

"And you, Chakar, take care of your lady, and try not to forget the special

events, you know how that upsets her."

"Right," I promptly agree, "And you look after yourself, Old Timer."

"Been doing that since before your great-grandfather was a mote in his daddy's

eye, my boy," the silver haired fakir smiled with a wizened gleam that reminds

me more than a bit of Ylan. Guess ancient wizards like him came off the same

assembly line in the old days, or something of that nature. All I know is that

there is no way in hell I'm ever letting the truth about his secret slip, not

even to Lady Morningstar when I give her my report later on about this whole

crazy business.

At the moment, though, I'm conscious of Garimel turning to look at me with a

bemused expression, and then-to my increasing nervousness-she says, "Yes,

about that business of you forgetting our anniversary and going off on your own

on an assignment..."

"Uh...Gari," I reply, "What was I supposed to do? Reistas came to me and laid

it on about my duty and..."

"And what about your duty to me?" she asks with a gleam in her blue-green eyes,

which suddenly hints of the slate coloration of her Starstone, "Did you not

think to do more than send your shadow as an emissary?"

"Um...well..." I think I'm starting to perspire about this point.

"On the other hand," she smiles, "Sharing an adventure with you is a kind of

anniversary all by itself, and saving the Multiverse from a threat of this

nature...but the question is...what do we do now for an encore?"

I haven't lived for 3000 years without knowing how to take a cue when it's tossed

to me like a life preserver, and in order to reply, I sweep my wife up into a

swoon and give her the kiss I know she's been asking for in her not-so-very-

subtle way...and somewhere on a thousand-thousand other timelines I know that

other versions of me are taking their own Garimels in their arms and doing the

same thing, and with the sweetness of a thousand-thousand kisses I quite

gratefully conclude my story...at least as much as any of you guys need to know

about the details of what happens after...

EPILOGUE:

Continuum #76157982

Ranma assured himself many times over that he was long and well past his old

phobia regarding cats, that cats did not disturb him any more, not since bonding

with Shiva and learning first hand that there were far worse things to be

terrified about. He knew this was the case because there was no way he would

have been able to stand there quite so calmly and look at the near equivalent to

Nabiki that was gazing back at him with curiosity in her diamond-slitted eyes,

her long tail (?) swishing with either curiosity or annoyance while his wife

discussed matters with the Saotome Ranma of this world, even as Ranko stood off

to one side with Cheshire, Colt and Meiko, who was herself busy ogling the

various other Pokegirls gathered about the yard outside the Saotome Stables.

"...And so you see," the other Ranma was explaining, "When a Pokegirl is Tamed

by someone like your daughter over there it forms an immediate bond on the

emotional, physical and psychic level. You really can't separate them without

doing harm to both parties so...like it or not-and I assure you I don't-I'm

afraid Cheshire's now pretty much stuck with your daughter, and vice versa."

"I see," Nabiki replied before staring at her felinine counterpart, "And you can

confirm this?"

"Yes," the other Nabiki answered with a disturbingly throaty noise that gave her

words an almost purring, sensual quality, her pointed ears rotating forward as

she studied her human counterpart, "And since your daughter is also part man,

that only firms the bond they share since the process of taming is strongest

when the urge to mate is also present. Female Tamers-though highly skilled in

their own rights-are rare enough because of the risks involved, but they lack

the one added ingredient that makes them ideal Pokegirl tamers...the thing

between the legs of powerful Tamers like my husband."

Ranma noted how his counterpart seemed to blush a bit around the gills at that,

though it was clear that their affections were as strong as what he felt for his

own quite human Nabiki, "You've got to understand, we've always known this day

would happen, it's just...unlikely that it happens between siblings. Must be

something in their chemistry that brought them both together. As painful as it

is for us to have to part with our daughter, the fact is that Cheshire's old

enough to be Tamed, and if your Ranko didn't do it then it could have been some

random guy, and we'd probably never have even heard about it until he registered

her as his Pokegirl. Same with Colt, though I'm sure Kasumi will understand why

she and Colt want to stick close together."

"Er...right," Time Cop Ranma responded, then narrowed his eyes a bit before

adding, "And you're okay with this? I mean...this Pokegirl stuff...girls who're

part animal and can be owned like property?"

"Well, you want the truth, I wasn't always...comfortable with the idea of being

a Tamer," the other Ranma replied with a shrug, "But you get used to the oddest

things when you have to, and since bonding with Kasumi, Nabiki and Shampoo..."

"Shampoo?" Nabiki asked, "She's also here?"

"Looking after the Kits," the tigerish Nabiki replied, "She's very good with

children, both Pokegirl and full human."

"Swell," Ranko smiled, "Wonder if Silver's got a counterpart here? You think

maybe I could...?"

"NO!" both Time Cop Ranma and Nabiki said together.

"Hey, Mom...Dad?" Meiko smiled, "When I grow up can I get to tame a Pokegirl of my own?"

Ranma just opened his mouth to that, but Nabiki said, "We'll...discuss that when

you're older. Now, I think we've taken up enough of your time. You must be

awfully busy...Taming your flock..."

"You've got no idea," the other Ranma rolled his eyes, "Work, work,

work...that's all anybody expects from me around here. I'm not a machine, you

know...I do have some feelings..."

"Sure you do, Master," his Nabiki grinned, fingering her jeweled collar, though

from the looks of things Time Cop Ranma suspected it was his counterpart who

usually wound up on the leash.

"Cheshire...take care of yourself, Kid," Ranma said to his daughter, "Your

mother and I are real proud of you. Looks like you got yourself in some pretty

good hands, so look after your owner just like your mother looked after me over

the last twenty-odd years."

"A full time occupation that is the lot of every Alpha," the other Nabiki mused

with a throaty purr that gave Time Cop Ranma the shivers.

"And Colt...take care of yourself, and look after your sister," Ranma said to

the Centauress.

"I will, Father," Colt replied, "Tell mother that I'm sorry we missed her, but

when she gets back from shopping...well...I'm sure we'll meet up again someday,

and maybe I'll even have foals of my own to show off, depending on how randy my

new Master is."

Ranko looked definitely dubious about that, but rather than prolong the goodbyes

she touched the button to her Pokeball and absorbed the pair back

into...whatever storage chambers the thing needed.

"Guess we'll have to do this again," Time Cop Ranma said with a gruff nod to his

counterpart and the furry Nabiki.

"Hey, you never know with dimension travel, right?" the other Ranma shrugged.

"Charmed we are indeed," the feline Nabiki replied as she eyed the human Nabiki

in a speculative manner.

"And likewise," Time Cop Nabiki responded, "Come along, Meiko-chan, Ranko-kun."

Ranma saw his redheaded daughter wince at that and reflexively reached out with

a hand to ruffle her head before saying, "Come along, you Tomcat. You've done

enough fooling about for one day."

"Get stuffed, Old Man," Ranko responded in a good-natured rebuff, and then as

one the four of them vanished from world of the Pokegirls, though they knew

implicitly that they would be returning one day for even more adventures...

Continuum #52413783

Gate of Ashkalon

"So...these are the dreaded Gates that figure so much in ancient legends,"

Peorth remarked as she stared up at the massive structure before them.

"Yes," Belldandy replied, "This is what started it all, the thing which sent

Celestine over the edge into the madness the consumed him. This ancient

boundryline that was meant to determine if two lovers could trust each other

enough to stand together for all eternity. Understandably, only a few who tried

it have ever made it through unparted."

"And this is what made you doubt your mission?" Peorth regarded her fellow

goddess, "Ma Cher, you know that such partings are only temporary at best. When

two lives have crossed paths and formed a bond that is stronger than any other

kind of union, that it is only the doubt in your own heart that could make such

a parting last for even a mortal lifetime."

"Yes, I know that now," Belldandy admitted, "But for the longest time, Peorth,

I've been...haunted by a feeling that somewhere, somehow, true love is waiting

for me, that there is someone special with whom I can share my immortal life and

never feel lonely. I...I thought that, perhaps, I might build such a life with

you...I mean, with your counterpart back on my own timeframe...but it wasn't

meant to be. Heaven was against our happiness, and so we were fated to be

parted forever."

Peorth looked dourly at the gates then said, "This other me...was she any

different than I am?"

"No," Belldandy replied, "She was exactly like you, why?"

"Maybe we're drawn from the same template," Peorth replied, "But I doubt that

this other me was entirely the same sort of person that I am, ma Cher. Do you

remember that time when we both worked together for the first time on the system

debugger?"

"Of course," Belldandy smiled grandly, "How could I ever forget? It was the

first time we had seen each other in years, almost since childhood, and what a

surprise it was that we were selected to work together as partners on that

rather difficult assignment..."

"Um...well...yes..." Peorth faltered slightly under the impact of Belldandy's

patented megawatt smile and the absolute delight that the memory seemed to be

giving her, "I...suppose we do remember the incident a little bit differently.

The thing was...the Virus we were assigned to debug was a little more tricky

than what either one of us was accustomed to handling, and we couldn't isolate

it to effect a viral containment spell. Before we knew it the bug mutated into

a worm and caused a feedback on the system that fed it into me and momentarily

took me over. I blacked out, only to come to in your arms to hear you deliver

the good news that you were able to isolate and erase the viral bug because of

me. The incident was then logged as a team effort...only...I didn't quite take

it the right way. Perhaps the bug was affecting my judgement, or perhaps I just

let pride get the better of me, but I cam away from the affair imagining that

you had taken pity on me and had covered up for my mistake. For the longest

time I remembered the occasion with bitterness and...resented you for it, I am

sorry to say. It was only later that I learned the truth, that you were able to

eliminate the bug because it had become isolated within my body, and when I

learned that I...felt more than a little foolish."

"Is that how it happened for you?" Belldandy asked, then smiled again,

"Peorth...you are right, I do remember the incident differently, but that's

because, in my state of affairs, I was the one who was momentarily taken over

and infected, and you were the one who isolated and cured me."

Peorth blinked her eyes, "I was?"

"I was so grateful to you that I was overcome with joy and elation," Belldandy

replied, "And without realizing what I was doing at the time, finding myself

cradled in your lap with concern for me plain in your expression...that I

reached out to you and drew you in for our first kiss. It really was the

sweetest moment of my life up until that moment, and it started the affair that

we began, which lasted for several more years before...before you

were...reassigned," Belldandy's eyes began to form tears of remorse, and her

momentary happiness was replaced by complete, overwhelming remorse and sorrow.

Peorth just stood there a moment before saying, "I...cured you?"

"Yes," Belldandy dabbed at her eyes with her fingers and tried to get her

emotions back under reign, but being the type of emotional deity she was it was

a wasted effort since joy and sorrow could flow through her as pure streams

without ever the one contradicting the other, "And...as you say...it was

registered as a team effort."

Peorth rocked back on her heels and tried to absorb that for another moment,

then she looked away, feeling both enormously confused and foolish for her own

former behavior, "I...guess it really does matter which side of the street you

walk down in Time's corridors. A step to the left or the right can have

enormous consequences, ma Cher...but, c'est le ve, such is life, I shouldn't wonder..."

The touch of a soft hand to her arm gave Peorth a jolt even as the nearness of

Belldandy made her senses reel with an unexpected quiver, even as the melodious

voice of her fellow divinity soothed nerves that had not even been ruffled as

the goddess said softly, "Peorth...I know that...that it can never be the same

in your world...that what I had with your past self...died with her...but you

must understand, to me you are still the same basic person as the Peorth I fell

in love with. Please don't turn away or reject me...even if you can never give

back the feelings that I have for you. I promise I won't be a burden for you,

and I will do my best as a Goddess First Class to serve you faithfully and to

always perform under you all the duties that you dictate. You have only to

instruct me and I will carry out your directions with efficiency and to the

letter. All I ask is that you allow me to serve you and I will see to it that

you never have any cause to regret your kindness."

"A...hah?" Peorth said faintly, having lost Belldandy somewhere about the

"perform under you" clause of that statement.

Belldandy sank to her knees and bowed to Peorth in the Japanese manner, "Please

accept my humble petition to be your most trusted and intimate assistant,

Peorth. I know that it is a lot to ask of you, and the system administrators

might have their own reasons to reject me after learning of the part I played in

Celestine's schemes..."

"Um..." Peorth tried to think of something coherent to say, but in the back of

her mind she could almost sweat that she heard the goddess Bast chuckling up her

furry sleeve somewhere, which is why she mentally slapped herself and tried to

get her mind back on the right mental tracks as she had started to drift into

some very unlikely directions.

[Get ahold of yourself, Peorth,] she mentally chided, [You know she didn't mean

it **that** way...]

[...I think...]

Belldandy was still kneeling in a prostrate manner when Peorth managed to get

enough control over herself to say, "Uh...it's okay, Bell-chan. I'm sure that

Farhan guy has enough pull with our superiors that it won't be...that much of an

issue. But still, I can't help wondering if you really do mean to serve under

me-I mean-as my secretary-er-assistant...I mean...with your level of

skills that would seem to be an inordinate waste of talent..."

"I wouldn't mind it, really," Belldandy assured her, "Just being with you is the

greatest joy that I could ever hope for."

"Ah...that's...not quite what I mean," Peorth sighed, "Oh, please stand up,

Bell-chan. It's silly for us to be carrying on this way. I mean...we're

childhood friends on both timelines, right? So I'd rather consider you an equal

than my subordinate. I'm sure we'll work something out...eventually, with a

little time and patience."

Peorth, Mistress of Roses, was a great many things, not the least of which title

she held was "Goddess of Moments," but to see the look of radiant happiness that

lit up the face of the Goddess of the Present was to give Peorth such a moment

as she would long remember. Belldandy all but floated to her feet and seemed

ready to embrace Peorth in another passionate hug that would be the prelude to

yet another senses-spinning kiss, but somehow the mist-brown haired goddess

managed to check her own impulses this time and simply gave a demure curtsey

that she performed with a distinctly "Belldandy-ish" savor.

"Thank you, Peorth," she said, "That is all I could ever ask. I always knew

that there was somebody special for me like you who could give my existence a purpose..."

"Oh, there's someone special who was meant for you, ma Cheri," Peorth smiled a

bit sadly as she glanced away, "And his name is Morisato Keiichi."

"Morisato Keiichi?" Belldandy asked in mild confusion.

"You don't remember, do you?" Peorth sighed, "One day, when we both were still

mere children, we chanced to be playing near to the Eternity gate, and on a

dare-by me, I might add-you strayed into its golden light and found yourself

whisked through time and space to the late 20th century, whereupon you met a

small boy named Keiichi, whom you befriended. Being a junior grade goddess,

however, without your full license, you could not be allowed to reveal your

existence to a mortal in such an off-handed manner, and so the Administrators

punished you by separating you both and blanking out your memories of the

incident...so that, centuries later, when you met Keiichi again you did not

recognize or remember him, but you granted him a wish that bound you to his star forever."

"Odd," Belldandy said, "I don't quite remember it the way you say it was.

Perhaps another me did meet this Keiichi as a youth, but I do not believe that

such a thing occurred within my own timeline."

"It didn't?" Peorth blinked her eyes in amazement.

"The Keiichi I knew was indeed a very nice boy, and it was a pleasure for me to

grant him his wish," Belldandy continued, "But I was not the one for him, nor do

I believe our administrators would have permitted it had such a wish that I be

his girlfriend actually been stated. I remained with the system, Peorth, until

Celestine called for me and tried to use me in his uprising. Perhaps that's why

I was inclined to believe that we could make a better world together...but now I

see that it was arrogant to believe that you can just hand paradise to human

beings on a platter. The life forms of this world have taken eons to evolve,

and to impose our idea of heaven upon them would be to void the entire purpose

behind their struggles. I...suppose if I had spent some time living on Earth

among mortals, then I might have realized this sooner, but..."

"There but for the grace of the Almighty," Peorth mused, then smiled, and

extended her hand towards Belldandy, "Well, I guess there's no putting it off,

then. Time for us to head back home so we can straighten things out at my office."

"Then by all means, Peorth-chan," Belldandy replied as she graciously took the

hand of her fellow goddess, then paused to say, "I really am happy about this,

Peorth. I hope that we will have many wonderful adventures together, just as I

did with the Peorth I remember."

"You really mean that, don't you?" Peorth asked, then quirked a smile and nodded

at the gateway, "Want to have one right now, Cheri?"

Belldandy's smile became astonishment, "You mean...through the gates? But...?"

"Sure, what's the worst that could happen?" Peorth mused, "We wind up somewhere

else...or in two different places? I'm willing to take the risk if you are."

There was only the barest fraction of an instant of hesitation, but then

Belldandy's hand grew firm as she held Peorth's hand, feeling the warmth of her

fellow goddess pressing back, and together they shared a smile that seemed to

banish away all doubt like the morning mist under the sun, and without another

doubt between them they stepped up to the gate and proceeded to take one long

step...beyond it...

Continued.

Comments/Criticisms/Warped Realities by the Truckfull: shadowmane

And so concludes another Realities series. I hope that you had fun (or some of

you, anyway), the ones who toughed it out and stayed with me even when the cast

expanded out of bounds and the plot got a little bit...complicated. Half the

joy of one of these mega-reality crossover fics is exploring the issues of what

different versions of Ranma might turn out like, and how the children of his

union to different women (or even different versions of the same women) might

affect the shape of future destiny. That's the reason why there will PROBABLY

be yet another "Realities" series someday in the future, but for now I'm willing

to let Time Cop Ranma, Nabiki and Ranko have a much-needed rest, at least until

the next time that I feel like unleashing them upon an unsuspecting Cosmos.

Once again, the characters of Chakar Shadowmane, Garimel Shalestar and Farhan

Silverstar (not to mention Darcon Trevaros and Reistas Morningstar) belong to

me, their creator (or at least I claim to be their agent, the question of

whether or not they actually exist somewhere in space and time is one I'd rather

leave unresolved at the moment). The are a part of a series that I created a

long, long time ago (but never wrote out beyond a few exploratory chapters)

called "Starlords of Infinity," very loosely inspired by Roger Zelazny's classic

"Nine Princes in Amber," his magnum opus and a very fun series that I highly

recommend to fans of fantasy and science fiction. My ideas, of course, were

very different from that of Zelazny, but I always believe in giving credit where

it's due (and this in spite of my "borrowing" quite liberally the characters and

concepts of other fanfic writers in the making of this series). Maybe one day

I'll actually get around to finishing and publishing the adventures of Chakar,

my alter-ego (or idealized self, after a fashion). Hey, it's a big Multiverse,

and anything can happen, right?

Until then, Happy Valentines day, and for pity's sakes guys,

don't forget the anniversaries of your loved ones! The life you

save might well be your own! ^_-

Jim Robert Bader

2/14/02

X

If you wish to check out my other works, Please check out my Fanfiction

webpage at: ~ All related chapters

of this series can be found there along with my other works.


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